


Chimera of Light, a Mother 3 fanfic

by CompleteLaytonTrash



Category: Mother 3
Genre: And Chapter 16 is a rushed sickfic chapter where BOTH TWINS GET SICK THIS TIME YEEHAW, And then Chapter 19 is horribly rushed, But warning it’s definitely odd and has strange tropes, Chapter 11 is hella long, Chapter 12 exists, Chapter 13 took forever and I’m so sorry about that it’s pretty good I promise, Chapter 14 is a big brawl and the kids become more psychic, Chapter 15 is that Christmas special I said I was gonna do and then actually did it., Chapter 17 is massive btw, Chapter 18 is also big but not as big as 17, Done in under a month and was really well made., Don’t ask why I have no idea how chapter 9 got so messy, Everyones just a mess, Fluff, Gen, HE DOESN’T GET BRAINWASHED CLAUS IS JUST LIKE “HELP ME OUT”, Hinawa is mentioned but she’s not present enough to put in the character tags, Hinawa shows up like 7 more times, However I’m justifying this by the fact that Mother 3 is very dark, Hurt/Comfort, I mean I did this in like 3 days, I'm impressed with myself actually, Im dumbfounded I even managed to write that much, It was supposed to be way longer but then I was like “nah let’s just work with this as it is”, Its also a hella long chapter like chapter 11 was, Its also really dark, Its for the 14th anniversary and is decent but you can really tell it’s rushed, Its really good tho, I’m not sure what I was trying to do but it was something, I’m not that evil I swear, Kumatora is an emotional mess in chapter 9, Kumatora swears a lot, Like I said everyone’s a mess., Like over 11000 words maybe 12000, Lucas gets to be a Commander along with Claus, Lucas has heavy trauma and freaks out of Claus is gone longer than he says he’ll be, Next one’ll be better I promise, No but seriously chapter 11 is at least 7000 words long, Rope snake gets mentioned once, Should update these now its been a while, Sickfic, Sorry I'm typing all this in a rush so that's why its a mess., Still not putting her in the character list until I make a chapter where shes a side main character, The twins argue thats fun, These don’t get updated often and I apologize, Think Tanetane but only nightmarish creatures no hallucinations, Wow lots of tags yeehaw, also claus can sing, claus gets his ass handed to him by a chimera, idk just thought I’d put that out there, it just did, jesus that’s a lot of tags, lotta bit of angst, sorry about that too, vomit mention in chapter 4, yknow the usual
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2020-06-24 03:34:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 97,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19715416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CompleteLaytonTrash/pseuds/CompleteLaytonTrash
Summary: Basically your generic Claus Lives AU but with my own personal twist on it.Claus winds up living and gets used to his half cyborg body as well as his brother’s new friends.





	1. A Risk Worth Taking

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first Mother 3 fanfic. I’ve written fanfics before, but I feel like those weren’t my best works. So here’s this mess.
> 
> PLEASE MAKE NOTE: I have a fleeting muse. It comes and goes like, once a year and once it’s gone, I am unable to write almost anything. If I suddenly stop posting for a long time, assume the muse is just gone. Hopefully, I’ll be able to finish this thing before that point, but I thought I’d at least make that point be heard.
> 
> Anyways, enjoy the story!

Chimera of Light, a Mother 3 fanfic

Chapter 1: A Risk Worth Taking

_ZZZAAAPP!!!_

Claus felt his body shutting down. The lightning bolt reflected off the Franklin badge coursing through his body, quickly cutting off all power to his mechanical parts in seconds. He knew what he was doing. This electrical shock was the only way his beloved brother could win this battle. He didn’t even cry out when the shock hit him, he just let it all happen. His body collapsed, falling into the arms of Lucas before he could hit the ground. He couldn’t hear anything Lucas was saying, his vision blurring and turning black. He gave his brother one final smile before his vision went black, his consciousness slipping away as the world faded from his mind. He knew that Lucas had to pull the final needle, it was fate. He was destined to die and Lucas would pave the way to a new world of light and happiness. He felt weightless, free, and happy.

_I’m going to see mom again..._

He felt like crying. Finally, despite the sad departure for his father and brother, he’d get to see his beloved mother once again. It was a mixed feeling, sadness and joy combined in a complicated mess of sensations and thoughts. But, something felt off. As free as he thought, he felt... off. He swore he could feel something pick him up and cradle him, but the sensation was so faint, he couldn’t tell if it was just his imagination or if it was reality.

_Am... am I really dead...?_

_..._

_...No. I must be. There’s no way that bolt couldn’t have killed me..._

_...I guess mom just hasn’t come to take me up to that happy place yet..._

Lucas laid his brother down and stepped towards the final needle. He was stricken with grief, but he knew that he couldn’t let that overtake him. The dragon was influenced by the heart of the person who pulls the needle, and if he let his grief and pain of losing his brother overtake him, the dragon would react the same. He pushed his emotions down as far as he could and focused on the joy and good things in Tazmily and the Nowhere Islands. His hands grasped the needle, the seal above it shattering into fragments of light. He gently pulled up and the needle began to move, slowly leaving its place in the ancient ground, light spilling out the more the needle left its place. Finally, light poured out, the needle freed from its place in the ground. The light soared upwards, taking shape. First, it became an orb, then it shifted into a ribbon, then into a serpent, and finally into a dragon. It looked down at Lucas, then shot up and through the earth, emerging into the sky with blinding light, illuminating the horizons with a golden glow. Its body swelled, a silver-white light penetrating its golden flesh with heavenly energy. Suddenly, the dragon burst, engulfing the world in the silvery white light. A voice spoke out to Lucas as the light rushed over him.

** “ Lucas, what is it you desire? A world of light in exchange for destruction, or a world of happiness in exchange for the death of a darkness?” **

Lucas paused, his mind weighing the two options. He wanted a world of light, but he wanted to be happy more than he wanted light. He remembered his brother and mother, how just seeing their faces brought a smile to his. He wanted to be happy more than anything, even if it meant living in darkness. Almost as if the voice had heard his thoughts, it answered him.

**“If happiness is what you desire, than I shall grant it. When you awaken, you will be just where you had once stood. Nothing will have changed where you are, but the place you came from will become a place of happiness, as it once was.”**

Lucas could faintly see the needle in his hands, the light spilling violently out of the hole the needle left. The needle glowed with a purple energy, burning away the light as it touched it.

**“That needle in your hand must return to its place for my power to grant your desire. Place the needle where it once was, and I will turn this world into your desired vision. Once I do, I will cease to exist. My duty will be fulfilled. You need not fear or worry for me, for I have given the pleasure of making this world a better place. I hope that my power will help you find happiness. Now, return the needle to its place. Make your vision reality.”**

Lucas hesitated, then thrust the needle back into the ground, the purple energy turning silver as the last remnants of light evaporated, leaving only the needle. Lucas let go, watching the needle shatter into crystalline fragments of light that glittered and shimmered in the sliver glow. There was a flash of purple light, and then, as if nothing had ever happened, the light was gone. The needle was no longer there, the hole in the earth was filled. Claus was still in Flints arms. Flint, Duster, and Kumatora were still standing where they were when Lucas went to pull the needle. Nothing had changed.

Flint walked up to Lucas and placed his hand on his shoulder. Nothing was said between them, but Lucas knew what he was conveying. He solemnly looked at Claus, who lay peacefully in Flints arms. He turned to Duster and Kumatora, a few glistening tears welling up in his eyes, one trickling down his cheek. Flint gave Lucas a gentle pat on the head, giving him as warming of a smile as he could. He took Lucas by the hand and walked towards Duster and Kumatora. They joined him, walking alongside him and Lucas as they exited the depths of the earth, heading back for Tazmily to say one final goodbye to Claus.

~~~{+}~~~

Lucas sat in his bed, staring at Claus, who had been loosely placed upon his bed, left there until tomorrow, when the burial would occur. Flint was making dinner, leaving Lucas to ponder the events that had happened just 1 hour ago. As he stared at his brother, he noticed something was odd about him. Not the fact that he was half cyborg, but that he could see his body moving ever so slightly. He shuffled off his bed and over to Claus, looking at him much more intently. He could now see his chest was rising and falling very very slowly. He felt something deep in his chest, a glimmer of hope. He placed a hand against Claus, his fingers pressing against his neck, and felt the slow but steady pulse of the blood flowing. It took him a moment to realize that he wasn’t hallucinating or going insane. He stumbled to his feet, rushing over to Flint, grabbing his arm and shaking it to get his attention.

“Dad! Dad!! Claus isn’t dead!!”

Flint shook his head, lowering his hat with his free hand.

“Lucas, he’s not. I’m sorry to sound harsh, but he’s gone. Claus is dead.”

Lucas tugged at his dads arm, pointing at Claus, tears starting to well up in his eyes again.

“Dad!! I’m not crazy!! Please, just go look!! He’s alive!!”

Flint shifted his hat and made his way over to Claus, and noticed his chest, very very slowly, rising and falling. His eyes widened as he placed his hand on Claus’s neck, finding the steady pulse. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He lifted his hat from his head, placing it on the nightstand. He looked at Lucas, his vision watery from the tears that had begun rolling down his face.

“He... he really is alive... Claus really is alive...”

He hugged Lucas, falling to his knees as he did so. Lucas immediately returned the hug, burying his face in his fathers shoulder. They stayed locked in the embrace for some time before Flint finally let go and stood up, putting his hat back on his head, a warm smile on his face.

“Lucas, please try to wake up your brother. I’ll finish making dinner. If he’s still not up by then, we can try again tomorrow.”

He walked back to the kitchen, leaving Lucas to his work. He tried with everything he had to wake Claus up, from shouting to shoving, he tried everything he could.

_...Is that... mother...?_

_.......No. It’s not her..._

_But... if it’s not her, then..._

_...Wait... if it really is him, then that means..._

“...-us! Claus! CLAUS!!!”

His eyes shot open, sitting up with a yelp as he looked around frantically, trying to pin the voice he was hearing when his eyes spotted Lucas, sitting right in front of him. He didn’t know what to do. His body wouldn’t even budge, no matter how much he wanted it to move. He wanted to hug his brother, to cry, to comfort him like he used to, to feel his brothers warm embrace that he missed so much. Lucas lunged into a hug, knocking Claus onto his back. Emotions flooded through him. Happiness, sadness, grief, fear, excitement, hope, and a fluttery feeling he couldn’t quite pinpoint. He couldn’t help but smile, even though his mind was flooded with such a complex mix of feelings, he had to smile. He was able to see his brother again, and that’s all that mattered.

“Well, looks like you finally woke him up.”

Both boys looked up to see Flint standing over them, smiling with outstretched arms.

“DAD!!!”

Both boys leapt into his arms, feeling the strong embrace of their dad. Claus felt more emotions rush forward, the embrace of his father and brother pulling memories he thought he’d forgotten to the surface. He buried his face in his dad’s chest, holding back tears. Flint pulled them closer.

“I’m so happy I have you two. You’re both so precious to me.”

He let go of both of them before lifting them up, holding one in each arm.

“You’re up just in time, too. I finished making dinner a moment ago. It’s your favorite.”

Both boys gasped in excitement, their eyes lighting up with joy as they realized what Flint made: pizza with red bell peppers and spicy pepperoni on top! The two leapt from the bed and dashed for the table, Claus faltering and stumbling as he struggled to keep up with Lucas. He managed to make it to a seat, resting his tired, aching legs as he sunk into the wooden chair. The scent of pizza snapped his attention to Flint, who placed the pan in the center of the table. Lucas and Claus dove for a slice, grabbing as many as they could before Flint separated them.

“Hey, calm down. Leave some for me too, ok?”

Both boys nodded and quickly sat down, smiling as they dug into their pizza. Flint sat down across from them, casually grabbing a slice as he took his seat. He felt true happiness for the first time in a while. He hadn’t seen Claus in years, and seeing his twin boys smile was the one thing he needed to bring back the joy he once had. It would be difficult to adapt to the new look Claus had taken on, but it was something worth adapting to.

_I’ll have to let Kumatora and Duster know about this. They’ll be shocked, I just know it._

Lucas finished his meal almost as fast as he had gotten it, and Claus finished just moments after. Lucas grabbed Claus and ran to the dresser, handing him a pair of pajamas.

“Here! You can borrow one of mine until we can get you new ones!”

Claus was hesitant to take the pajamas, since he preferred to not use the same clothes as his twin, but seeing his own clothes were 3 sizes too small, he reluctantly obliged.

_Note to self: go shopping for new clothes._

Claus sighed and changed out of his tattered shirt and shorts and into the comfy pajamas. He had forgotten how soft they were. It had been so long since he’d actually had to wear anything of the sort, as he’d usually be put in a little chamber where he’d be repaired and his clothes would be washed on the spot while he slept, so it was a nice change of pace. It took him a second to realize how tired he actually was, as when he laid down in bed, he nearly fell asleep right then and there. Lucas had to shake him to make him stay awake long enough for Flint to tuck them in. It brought back old memories of when his mother, Hinawa, used to tuck them in and tell bedtime stories, although he knew he was too old for that now. Flint gave the two boys a gentle pat on the head after tucking them in, turned the lights off, and headed off to bed himself. The whole room was silent for a few moments before Claus could hear Lucas shuffling underneath the covers and poking at his arm.

“Claus! Are you still awake?”

Lucas kept his voice at a whisper, trying to stay quiet enough to not alert their father. Claus let out an exhausted sigh and slowly rolled over, facing his brother, who’s bright green eyes shone brightly, the moonlight trickling in from the window giving off dim light that reflected off Lucas’s eyes.

“Yes, I’m awake.”

Claus made sure he was only loud enough for Lucas to hear, his voice a faint whisper. He heard the lighthearted giggling of Lucas as he pulled him into a hug, his head buried in his chest. It was an odd sensation, one he’d almost forgotten. He felt something warm in his heart, the feeling of love. He returned the embrace, laying his head on top of his brothers, quietly sighing as he snuggled up to Lucas.

“Good. I wanted to say goodnight before you passed out and fell asleep on top of me like you used to.”

He giggled a bit as Claus let out an annoyed breath. Claus knew all too well how he used to sleep, and he knew that it must’ve been hard to deal with him not being there. While Lucas was a much quieter, calmer sleeper who didn’t often move in his sleep, Claus would always wind up rolling on top of him somehow, snoring away with half of his body laying on Lucas, usually in some strange position he managed to squirm into. He couldn’t help but laugh a bit, remembering old times of when he’d wake up with his head by the end of the bed and a foot on Lucas’s head.

“Well, you just did. Can I try to sleep now? I’m gonna have a  lot of catching up to do tomorrow.”

Claus gave Lucas a gentle pat on the back before snuggling deeper under the covers. Lucas curled up against his body, still hugging him.

“Of course! Goodnight Claus!”

“Goodnight Lucas.”

It only took moments for Lucas to slip into sleep, but Claus found himself struggling to fall asleep. He closed his eyes and tried to think about all the fun things he’d get to do, hoping the mere thought alone would exhaust his mind enough to give him the mercy of sleep.

_I guess I’ll get to actually meet Kumatora and Duster tomorrow. I wonder what they’re like. One things for sure, they’re going to panic when they see I’m alive and Lucas and Flint haven’t started to panic..._

_Wait! I almost forgot about Boney! He’s going to be thrilled to see I’m alive. I missed the little guy a lot. His cute barks, his happy-go-lucky attitude, and his poofy ears! I can still remember when he was a puppy, too. Man, it really has been a while, hasn’t it? I’ve missed 3 whole years of life._

_Now that I really think about it... I am really tired... maybe I should just stop thinking..... and just....... sleep........._


	2. Old Memories, New Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claus meets Kumatora and Duster and winds up getting sad for a bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooray! Chapter 2 is here! I’m pretty happy with this one. I’ve got a lot of ideas coming up for future chapters, but I’ll work on those as they come. For now, enjoy chapter 2!

Chimera of Light, a Mother 3 fanfic

Chapter 2: Old Memories, New Friends

Claus awoke the next morning feeling downright  _horrible_.

His whole body had rolled on top of Lucas, and he almost ached too much to get off of his poor sleeping brother. He couldn’t fathom how he’d ended up in this much pain. He ached, and it stung to move anything mechanical. Unluckily for him, one of his arms was entirely mechanical, and trying to even shift it hurt worse than he expected it to. He let out a small wince of pain as he tried to shift and sit up, prioritizing the use of his left arm over his right to flip himself off of Lucas and to a sitting position. It took more energy than he first thought, leaving him breathless and exhausted, despite getting a good 9 hours of sleep.

_Owwwww... why the hell does it hurt so bad to move?! It didn’t hurt this bad yesterday, so why is it this bad NOW?!_

He managed to scoot out of bed, carefully removing the covers as to not disturb his brother. Standing hurt. Moving hurt. Everything just hurt. He shambled over to the mirror and looked at himself, taking off his pajama shirt to look at his body, checking for anything that could be causing such pain, and noticed the problem.

First, a huge, jagged, black burn mark sat right on the upper left part of his chest, the jagged lines reaching as far as his neck. Touching the injury hurt more than moving did, and he deduced that it was from the reflected bolt of lightning he shot. Second, he realized there was more metal to him than he first thought. There was a metal coating along the lower left side of his neck that went all the way down to just above his elbow, creeping along his back and neck. His entire right arm was a robotic arm, which he first thought was just partially robotic. The way it connected to his shoulder was through a series of very painful clamps that dug into his skin, making him let out small, quiet yells of pain upon touching them. His back had horrible scars that held the temporary mechanical wings he used along with a jet pack prior to being released from mind control. The scars didn’t hurt as bad as the rest of his body, but they still stung a bit when touched. He pressed a hand to his rib cage and found that there were small plates that were the same color as his skin, protecting systems hidden underneath that ran mechanical parts of his body. He also found a small hole on the upper back of his neck, surrounded by metal. Third, he was bruised, cut (not bleeding, however), and all around beat up from the fight he had yesterday.

_No wonder everything hurts so bad... I’m half cyborg and I never healed up from that beating I took..._

He groaned quietly and put his shirt back on, throwing himself on the bed with no care whatsoever. The act of slamming onto the mattress woke Lucas up fast. The panicked twin sat up and looked around, finding his brother laying 3/4 of the way on the bed, facedown, and faintly groaning. Lucas gave him a gentle shake, fear in his voice.

“Claus!! Claus are you ok?!”

The only response was a muffled groan. Lucas shook him again, this time with more force, eliciting a louder groan and a weak shove from Claus. This only made Lucas freak out more. He lifted Claus’s head and found him to not be hurt, merely tired, still groaning.

“Claus! What happened?!”

After a sigh and a few minutes of slow shifting from his brother, Claus managed to sit up again, rubbing his sore shoulder.

“I’m fine, stop freaking out, please.”

Lucas quickly swallowed his fear and scooted closer to Claus, a glint of curiosity in his emerald green eyes.

“Listen, everything hurts. One, because I’m at least half cyborg and I’m not used to having all this crap in my body. I probably shifted too much and bumped a lot of it while I slept. Two, because I never healed up from the battle yesterday. I’m all bruised and I’ve got some healing cuts, and those all hurt too. Third, I have a couple scars that hurt really, really bad.”

“So, you’re ok otherwise?”

Lucas scanned his brother for anything out of the ordinary, ignoring the metal and mechanical parts to him as best he could.

“Yes, I’m ok. It just... hurts to do just about everything.”

Claus snapped his attention to the sudden creaking of the floor. He heard a grunt, the shuffling of covers, followed by more creaky footsteps.

_Looks like dad’s awake. He’ll check on us once he’s started breakfast._

Lucas gave Claus a nudge, getting his attention back to him.

“Sorry, I should’ve done something about the injuries when I realized you weren’t dead. I got sidetracked by the fact that you were actually  alive that I completely forgot.”

He pointed two fingers at Claus, a familiar sparkle in his eyes. Soft green light began to form at the tips of his fingers, flickering as it built up to a strong glow.

“Lifeup!”

The green light suddenly burst and shot into Claus. It felt warm and fuzzy, and a large portion of the pain went away in just moments. At first, he was confused, but as he noticed the injuries healing under soft green light, he realized his brother had used PSI to heal him. He watched as bruises began to fade away, cuts healing so perfectly that the scabs just disappeared, scars becoming less puffy and painful, reducing down to just nasty looking lines on the skin. It was fascinating to watch. His gaze was fixed to the soft glow along each injury, watching intently and snapping to the next available injury once the one he was staring at faded away. Lucas smiled as his brother watched the injuries disappear like magic. Suddenly, a familiar voice snapped both boys attention to someone behind them.

“Seems I don’t even have to wake you two up.”

Flint stood behind them, dressed in loose pajamas, a warm, comforting smile on his face. He was greeted with a lunging hug from both boys. He took notice of the fact that Claus wasn’t hugging him as tightly as Lucas, and noticed the soft green glow that Lifeup produced faintly shining on Claus’s body. When the two let go, he gently checked Claus’s arms, noticing the glow fading from small bruises and cuts. His gaze wandered along the small injuries that were quickly healing, but he noticed that Claus winced anytime he touched a spot that was surrounded by metal or mechanical parts.

“Claus? Are you feeling alright?”

A soft nod was his response, lightly pushing away Flints hand.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I think I’m just sore from yesterday and I’m not entirely used to being part cyborg.”

Claus sighed as Lucas tilted his head to one side, confused.

“But you’ve been part cyborg for a little over 3 years now, right? Wouldn’t you have gotten used to it?”

Claus glanced over at Lucas, his two vastly different eyes sparkling a bit in the morning sun.

“You realize I was under mind control, right? I was basically turned into a mindless program that couldn’t feel pain, so I never paid any mind to all this. Also, I didn’t sleep all contorted like I naturally do. Repairs had to be done constantly since I was still a bit reckless, so I slept in a chamber that kept me upright and in a position where I couldn’t move. My legs were together and my arms were and my sides, and I’d have minor restraints to hold me there to make sure I wouldn’t move around while repairs were done. In other words, I never noticed or cared until  after you broke me out of my mindless state.”

Lucas and Flint nodded in acknowledgement, agreeing that what was explained was a reasonable possibility for why Claus was in pain. Flint motioned to the table where a breakfast of pancakes sat, coated in syrup.

“Well, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, how about we have some breakfast?”

Both boys nodded excitedly. Lucas leapt out of bed and helped Claus up, taking his hand as they both hurried to the table, taking their seats, followed by Flint. Once they had all been seated, the dug in all at once, excitedly talking about what was to come.

~~~{+}~~~

“C’mon Claus!! I want you to meet my friends!!”

“I’m coming! I’m coming!! Just give me a sec!”

Claus grabbed the nearby backpack he had loaded up an tossed it onto his back, wincing as it slammed against old scars. He bolted out the door, closing it and locking it as he ran after Lucas, who had already made it halfway down the path. He jogged up to him, putting a hand on his brothers shoulder to stop him from running off again, struggling to catch his breath.

“Can we please... for the sake... of my well being... slow down...?!”

He gripped harder as his brother tried to take a hasty step, clearly not up to deal with running again.

“Lucas... let’s... let’s just walk... they can wait... 5 extra minutes... to meet me...”

Lucas sighed and pried his brothers hand off his shoulder, taking it and heading towards town. He walked faster than Claus did, but made sure to slow down when asked to. He didn’t want to exhaust him more than he already had.

It took just a few minutes to get to town. Claus recognized the familiar archway him and Lucas used to run through when they were kids as they passed underneath it. Flint had already run ahead to meet up with the two friends in question, and Lucas spotted them standing where the old well used to sit. He didn’t realize how much Tazmily had changed since he left. If he wasn’t with Lucas, he would’ve sworn he traveled into the future somehow. His thoughts were distrusted when Lucas shouted out to Flint and the two people with him, excitedly running towards them, letting go of Claus. He recognized the faces of the two, but couldn’t pinpoint their names, struggling to remember what Lucas had shouted out to them in the middle of the final battle with him.

Claus noticed the change in expression when they saw him. The girl with fiery hair raised a hand, red hot energy sparking to life at her fingertips. The man next to her shifted in position a bit, his injured looking leg shifting behind him as he went into a battle stance. Flint hurriedly reassured them of the situation, letting them know that Claus was of no harm, and would explain everything in a bit. Lucas wrapped an arm around Claus’s shoulder, pulling him close with a joyous grin on his face.

“Kumatora, Duster, this is my brother, Claus!!”

Claus watched as the two studied him for a moment, and began to relax a bit, seeing as Lucas wasn’t panicking or anything, and was literally cuddling his brother. In that time, Claus put names to faces.

_Ok, so the guy with the bad leg is probably Duster. It only seems reasonable that it’d be his name. So that means that the girl with the fire hair must be Kumatora. Suitable name, given the reaction to me. They’re so much older than Lucas though... Kumatora looks like she’s an older teenager, and Duster straight up looks like an adult. Odd choice for friends, but I guess I shouldn’t judge. They seem like good people at least. Maybe they’re really-_

“Claus! Are you even listening to me?!”

The sudden shout from Lucas grabbed Claus’s attention, making him jump. He glanced around and realized he had been blankly staring at Kumatora and Duster for at least a minute. Lucas gave him a nudge, motioning to at least say hi. Claus paused and fumbled with the metallic plates on his right arm, nervous.

“Hi, you already know my name, it’s nice to meet both of you.”

He paused, then added a quiet

“I’m sorry for the trouble I caused...”

Kumatora shrugged and put a hand on his shoulder. She was surprisingly strong, and he winced when her hand hit his shoulder.

“It’s fine. I think I get why you’re here, and Flint explained you were under mind control, so you technically didn’t do anything wrong, which means you’re forgiven in my book.”

She gave him a little smirk before turning to Duster, raising an eyebrow at him. He sighed, watching as Claus nervously glanced at him.

“Yeah, I guess I can forgive you. You’ve got a lot stuff we all need to help you fix, but you’re forgiven, granted you really weren’t even the problem of all the stuff we went through in the first place.”

Just hearing that alone made Claus relax. Both of these people he wound up hurting and going so far as to try and ruin their lives under the control of Porky, were kind enough to forgive all his horrible actions just like that. It almost seemed too nice to him, but he wasn’t one to complain when it came to something like this. Lucas gave him a small nudge, and mouthed something that Claus managed to interpret as ‘explain to them why you’re alive’. Only problem: even Claus couldn’t figure out why he was alive. He dug his fingernails into the indentations between metal plates and stared at Kumatora and Duster, nervously glancing back at Lucas every now and again.

“So, I’m assuming you’re curious on why I’m not, uh, dead, right?”

Both Kumatora and Duster nodded in unison.

“W-well, to be honest, I’m not entirely sure either. I have a feeling that I was still alive despite that lightning bolt, and I was just unconscious and injured so badly that nobody noticed I was alive? My only other theory is Lucas managed to get the Dark Dragon to revive me after he pulled the final needle...”

His voice trailed off. His head hurt from trying to recollect anything just prior to being unconscious. He could remember the battle, and getting hit with the bolt, but he couldn’t seem to remember any other thoughts or memories from then. Lucas could sense the discomfort in his brother and gave him a few back rubs before Claus seemed to relax, rubbing his temples and groaning a bit. Flint cleared his throat, grabbing everyone’s attention. He adjusted his hat and motioned to the pathways that lead around town.

“Why don’t we take a little tour for Claus? You two can get to know him while we do.”

Lucas peppily agreed to the idea and started running off, Flint hurriedly walking after him. Kumatora, Duster, and Claus all walking a ways behind them. The walk was silent between the three for a while until Duster decided to speak up.

“So Claus, since your brother can use PSI, I’m assuming you can as well? I mean, I know you can use PK Love, but can you use anything besides that?”

It took Claus a moment to realize what Duster had asked. He had nearly forgotten about his own abilities. He knew for a fact he had PK Love, but he didn’t know if he actually could use anything else. He stared at his right arm, slowly opening and closing his hand.

“I... don’t think I do. I know the Magypsies taught me how to use PK Love, but I never learned anything else...”

Duster smiled and shrugged, pointing to Kumatora.

“Kuma over here has a lot of PSI moves, but hers are more offensive. I’ve got nothing. Well, I’ve got nothing on the PSI side of powers.”

Claus gave a confused sort of glare, to which Kumatora stifled a laugh.

“But, you made it all the way to the final needle! There’s no way you could’ve gotten THAT far without something! Come to think of it, what do you even use anyway?”

Duster raised an eyebrow, a smile growing on his face. He pulled out a wall staple and held it up for Claus to see.

“Well, I’m a thief. I know, I know, I don’t look like one, but I am. The stuff that got me that far, besides Kumatora and Lucas, was my thief tools. Ones like this.”

He casually tossed the wall staple in the air, catching it in the opposite hand and slipping it into a pocket hidden in his sweater. Claus watched in amazement.

“Whoa. So, I’m assuming that thing just kinda, sticks to walls as a ladder or something, or do they serve some kind of battle purpose?”

Duster chuckled, motioning to the nearby trees along the path, stopping and kneeling down, his left leg beneath him.

“Want me to show you?”

The smirk on his face said it all. Claus carefully climbed onto his back, making sure to be careful of Dusters left leg as to not cause any discomfort. The second he was positioned on his back, Duster shot to his feet, making Claus panic and grab onto him in an awkward way.Duster stood for a moment to let Claus get his grip on him, helping him a bit by hoisting him up a little.

“You all set? I don’t want you going flying.”

Claus gave a small nod, a knot forming in his throat. He felt Duster shift a bit, letting go of him and grabbing ahold of a few wall staples. Claus hastily locked his legs around Dusters torso, grabbing onto his shirt for extra support. Duster have a small warning nudge before dashing forwards. He was surprisingly fast for someone with a bad leg. He sped past Kumatora, Flint, and Lucas with blinding speed. Before Claus could even grasp what was going on, he was in the air. Duster shot the wall staples one by one into the trees, vaulting off with grace and precision. Within moments, he was airborne, high enough to see most of Tazmily Village square. Claus was star struck. He only got a fleeting glimpse of the sky-high view before he was carefully tossed off, soaring towards the ground.

Panic instantly set in. He knew he was falling, and he had no way to stop himself from plummeting to the ground. He let out a scream, a nasty memory of his jetpack failing mid-flight and causing him to plummet to the ground. At least that time, he landed in the ocean, but this time there was nothing soft to land in, only rock-hard ground. He shut his eyes, frantic, panicked thoughts rushing through his head. Suddenly, he felt something grab ahold of him. He felt the world flip over for just a moment before everything came to a screeching halt. He opened his eyes and found himself on the ground, safely held in Dusters arms, not harmed in any way, shape, or form. Lucas came rushing over, laughing as Duster got Claus back on his feet, dazed and still filled with adrenaline.

“Well? What’d you think? Was it fun?”

Lucas laughed as Claus struggled to answer. The dazed twin looked up at Duster, who was stifling a laugh, and stumbled into him, being easily caught by him.

“Yeah, besides falling!! You could see all of Tazmily from up there!”

Claus let out a relived breath, finally able to see straight, the adrenaline having worn off. He laughed, realizing his position. Duster has caught him and picked him up by his waist, holding him under his arm. He carefully set Claus down, making sure he wasn’t going to fall over again. Kumatora came running up to the group, gesturing to the sky.

“I don’t know how he does it, but Duster can practically fly if he goes fast enough!”

Claus hastily nodded in agreement, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Yeah he can!! I haven’t had that much fun in years!!”

He tilted his head a bit and looked behind him, vaguely picturing where his mechanical wings once were.

“Maybe one day, if I get my old wings back, I can fly without help.”

Kumatora cocked her head to one side, her spiky hair ruffling as she moves.

“Old wings? Claus, you’re not a bird. You couldn’t have had wings.”

Claus raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smirk on his face.

“I find it funny that you’d say that, because you’ve seen them before. Don’t you remember Snowcap Mountain? I escaped just before your battle with the Steel Mechorilla with a winged jet pack. However, the wings actually were fused to my body. The jet pack was a sort of outlet to hold them and hide them from view when they weren’t needed.”

The statement caused a number of confused and concerned expressions from the group, much of which were just concerned. Flint put a hand on Claus’s shoulder, glancing at him. Claus could practically sense the concern in his eyes as he let out a small sigh.

“Claus, what in the world did they do to you over those three years? Wings, a mechanical arm, a mechanical eye, just... what even happened?”

Claus let his gaze wander to his shoes. He was too afraid and nervous to even dare speak of what was done to him. It was brutal and torturous. He was sure he’d traumatize his brother more than he already had if he explained it in detail, and knew that he’d frighten everyone with his details, so he decided to keep his mouth shut.

“They, uh... they did a lot. I don’t plan on going into detail. It’s... more than traumatizing.”

Lucas knew what was about to happen. He’d experienced it all too many times. Duster would be content with the answer, but Flint and Kumatora would start pressuring for details. It’d result in someone crying, someone being mad, and Duster usually being caught in it all, trying to calm the situation down. Lucas butted in before Flint and Kumatora could even begin to speak.

“Hey, why don’t we go and watch the sunset? We’ve been walking for a while, and the sun’s gonna go down in a little bit! It’d be a nice way to end off the night, right?”

Claus couldn’t be more relieved. He caught the reassuring grin that Lucas gave and sighed in relief. His brother grabbed his hand and dashed off towards a nearby hill, dragging Claus behind him. The ginger struggled to keep up. His legs were still stiff and hurt a bit to move, even after being healed. He stumbled and tripped over his own feet as he tried to keep up with his brother. Duster had run up behind and kept close to make sure he could catch Claus if he happened to fall. Kumatora and Flint stayed as close to Duster as they could, but found they were slower than him and the twins. Eventually, they made it into the forest, slowing down to easily navigate together.

~~~{+}~~~

Hours had gone by, spent chatting and playing as the sun disappeared along the horizon and the stars slowly flickered into the sky. The group had settled down and decided to chat rather than play. Duster, Kumatora, and Flint has all sat down to chat while Lucas and Claus took up residence underneath a small tree. The twins had settled with a thin blanket over them, the chilly night air biting at their exposed legs. Lucas huddled up to his brother, tucking his legs underneath the blanket for extra warmth. Claus merely pulled the blanket farther over himself, sighing as he watched the stars sparkle and shine.

“Hey Claus, if you don’t mind me asking, what’s it like to have mechanical parts?”

Claus looked over at Lucas, who had laid his head on Claus’s shoulder, his eyes drifting between the stars.

“Well, its got its perks, but it sure isn’t fun.”

Lucas looked up at him, staring intently at his mechanical eye and metal face plate that surrounded it.

“Why isn’t it fun? I thought it would be, having all these cool parts you can use for battle and for play.”

Claus shrugged, giving an annoyed huff as he glanced over at Kumatora, Duster, and Flint.

“Like I said, it has perks, but you aren’t treated like a person. Everyone keeps giving me these looks, blatantly staring at anything out of the ordinary like I’m some kind of demon you released and are walking around with. I feel like I’m just some monster. Even dad gives me those looks...”

His voice trailed off as he caught his father taking a swift peek from behind his hat before hastily turning back to the group. Claus knew he was staring at that eye of his. It was so obvious and stuck out on instant. The eye wasn’t emerald green, but a carnelian red. There was a metal faceplate that surrounded it and went just short of his nose and ear, stopping at his hair and jawline. It want skin colored like the rest of the plates, but a shiny silver-gray. He wished his hair hadn’t grow upward so he could cover the eye and faceplate with it, but he was stuck the way he was. Lucas wrapped his arm around Claus, noticing his discomfort, and snuggled up against him, a happy smile on his face.

“I don’t see anything wrong with you! You and I are the same person in my eyes. We’re twins after all! You were only a monster under mind control, but it wasn’t your fault! It was Porky’s, and that means that you can’t be a monster now! Sure, you’ve got some mechanical parts. But it doesn’t bother me one bit! You’re still the same old Claus to me!”

Claus could feel his face growing hot and tears welling up in his eye. He wiped them away and gave Lucas a hug, his face buried in the blonde twins shoulder.

“Thanks, little bro.”

Lucas happily returned the embrace, squeezing his brother with all his might before a chilly gust of wind made him duck under the blanket. Claus laughed and pulled Lucas into his lap, tightly wrapping the blanket around them and laying his arms on him, curling around him to provide extra warmth. Lucas tucked the blanket in as best he could and pulled Claus closer, much more comfortable and warm. The two stared off into the starry sky, Lucas occasionally pointing out a constellation or two. Claus watched as Lucas would go on and on explaining where he first saw the constellation, even going far enough to explain the names for them. Before long, the blonde had nestled into the blanket and fallen asleep. Claus made a mental note of his sleeping brother and the weather, and watched as Flint went inside, parting ways with Duster and Kumatora. He decided to not wake Lucas and stay put.

_The weather seems like it’ll hold up. No point going back inside if Lucas is content sleeping right here._

Claus shifted to get more comfortable, the weight of his brother slightly crushing him until he got into a better position. It wasn’t ideal, but he was fine with enduring a bit of discomfort to make sure his brother didn’t snap awake in the middle of the night. Lucas had a habit of getting frequent nightmares or waking up at the slightest change in position. It was what caused Flint to just give them one bed to sleep in together rather than make them sleep separately and try and cram into one bed after a night terror. Claus smiled and watched the night sky start to fade from his vision, his eyes closing as he let out a tired, faint sigh. He laid his head down on top of his brothers, loosening up a bit as he drifted off. As he slipped into slumber, he noticed a shooting star soar above him. He watched with heavy eyes as the star soared by and faded into the darkness. He quietly mumbled to himself as it went over, and smiled sleepily, finally drifting off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen I don’t know how to end stuff unless it’s a cliffhanger or something. Just for future reference, know that I’m bad at ending stuff.
> 
> Anyways, chapter 3 is already being written (I just started it after I finished this one), so expect that to come out sometime soon.


	3. Mechanized Flight and Sunflower Fields

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boney shows Claus some interesting objects he once had, and finds a whole lot of sunflowers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter probably isn’t written as well as the previous two, mainly because I had way too much time on my hands, and the fact that I only got 2 hours of sleep and woke up at exactly 2:00 AM this morning. I’m amazed I even got this chapter done in the first place.
> 
> Anyways, enjoy.

Chimera of Light, a Mother 3 fanfic

Chapter 3: Mechanized Flight and Sunflower Fields

It was late in the afternoon, a bright summer day. The wind ruffled Claus’s hair as he walked through the forest, Boney at his side. Lucas had gone out with Flint to run some errands, and Claus offered to take Boney on a walk. He hadn’t really spent any time with the dog after he got home, and decided to make up for it as best he could. The trail he took felt the same as it always did. He found himself getting lost in the scenery. It hadn’t changed since he was mechanized, and it was a nice touch of nostalgia for him. Most of the animals strayed away from him, and Boney would chase after ones that didn’t, happily barking as he bounded along the trail. Claus was able to hear everything Boney was thinking or saying, thanks to his PSI. Both him and Lucas had the ability for as long as they could remember, and enjoyed it. They made closer connections to animals and found it to be quite helpful when lost of lonely. The familiar bark of Boney broke Claus out of his thoughts, turning his attention to the overly excited dog.

_“Hey Claus! I wanna show you something! Follow me!”_

Claus watched as Boney reared up, his tail wagging, before dashing forwards and around a bend. Claus hurriedly ran after him, his legs aching with each step. It had been a few days since he’d returned to normal life, but he still ached. His arm was better, but his legs still hurt way more than they should. He managed to keep up with Boney, whipping around corners and bends in the trail until they reached a large clearing packed with sunflowers. Claus leaned against a tree, catching his breath as he took in the sight of the clearing. Boney tugged at his shorts, bouncing as he tried to lead the exhausted twin into the field.

_“C’mon! Hurry up! I need to show you this thing I found!”_

Claus let out an angry huff and walked after Boney, who had bounded into the sunflowers. He barely managed to keep track of the dog, struggling to tell the difference between the dirt and the actual dog. He was led to a smaller clearing in the midst of the sunflowers. In it, mechanical wings, a medium sized golden sword, a helmet with a metal lens over the left eye, a small cover that seemed to go to his right arm, his old commander jacket and pants, and a little note laying on top. Claus picked up the note and recognized the handwriting almost instantly. It was Hinawa’s. He had to do a double take to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating or something. He took a deep breath and began reading the note aloud.

“My dear Claus,

I understand it has been hard for you lately, but keep pushing on. These things all belong to you, yes? Please make use of them. And always know, I will always love you.

Love, Hinawa.”

Claus wanted to cry, but he couldn’t find the strength to do it. He folded up the note and put it in his shirt pocket, picking up the jacket and noticing that the signature pig nose marking was missing from it, and had been replaced with his name on a clean white tag. The jacket smelled like lavender, and was surprisingly clean. Even the fluffy collar was clean, pure white and looking like it was brand new. The blood stain that used to be there was gone as well. He looked at the sleeves and noticed the fluff on the wrists and bottom of the jacket, and saw how clean that was too. The pants had been thoroughly washed, and the fluff that was at the ankles was pure white. He stared intently at the outfit before gently folding it up and placing it on the ground next to him. He grabbed the wings that sat just underneath the original spot of the jacket and pants, staring at them. The wings were huge, and had small thrusters at each wingtip. The point where the wings connected had clamps that looked like they dug into the skin and snapped into place. Claus had second thoughts about putting his old wings back on. His scars were painful, but he knew they weren’t exactly fully healed either. Just a day ago, they had split open, causing a near panic attack from Lucas. He decided to take his chances and split the clamps apart, taking his shirt off and carefully placing the wings behind him.

“Here goes nothing...”

He slammed the wings down on his scars, the clamps snapping into place. He let out a loud yelp of pain, which was cut short by him biting his lip. The clamps dug into his skin, drawing a tiny bit of blood, but not enough to raise any sort of alarm. He looked over at Boney, who had his ears raised and tail between his legs in fear. Claus held out a hand, letting Boney sniff it before rushing to his back, licking at his wounds. Claus slumped over, relaxing as the pain dulled to a mild sting, feeling his body already adapting to the wings.

_“These wounds don’t look so good. You sure you don’t want me to pry these things off you?”_

Claus raised a hand to stop Boney from grabbing onto the wings and tearing them off.

“Don’t. As much as they hurt, I don’t mind them. I just don’t know how I’m going to fit them through my shirt or keep them out of the way...”

Almost on cue, his wings tucked in and folded elegantly, like a piece of origami, and became small diamond shaped pieces of metal on his back. He looked back and saw Boney had backed away from him, growling at the metal plates that were his wings. Claus sighed and walked over to Boney, scratching him behind the ears.

“Relax, they just folded up. They’re harmless, ok buddy?”

Boney shook his head, his poofy ears flopping against him. He nuzzled against Claus’s hand, making soft whines.

_“Sorry, it caught me off guard. But, I wanted to show you all this because I saw Hinawa. She told me to hide all this from everyone and lead you to it when I got the chance. I thought today would be a good day to do so.”_

Claus went wide eyed. He nearly grabbed Boney by the collar and pulled him to his face.

“You saw mom?! Wh-What’d she say to you?! Did she tell you anything important?!”

Boney flinched and paused before wagging his tail, sticking his little tongue out.

_“Actually, she did! She wanted to tell you she’s sorry for getting angry at you during the final battle. She felt bad for getting so mad and wanted to apologize. She also wanted to tell you that she loves you and Lucas so so much. She cleaned up your jacket, pants, and tinkered with your helmet a bit. She found a mind control device in the helmet and took it out for you. I think that’s everything.”_

Claus felt himself tearing up. He sniffled, wiped his eye, and gave Boney a loose hug. Nothing was said between the two, but nothing needed to be. After a few minutes, he let go and went back to the pile of stuff. He picked up his shirt, grabbed a pair of tailor shears in his bag, and carefully cut slits in his shirt, allowing his wings to fit through. His jacket already had small slits that opened when his wings pressed against them, but were closed otherwise. He put the scissors away, put his shirt back on, and then put on his jacket and commander pants, buttoning up the jacket, feeling the fluffy collar against his neck. He picked up the helmet and looked at it, spotting the hole in the back where the cord on his arm went. He fumbled with the helmet, trying to fit it on his head again, and found that he had pressed some button. He quickly took it off and watched as the helmet folded into a little hexagon that fell into the hole in his right palm, perfectly clicking into place. He shrugged and lifted up the small cover that was next to the sword. He rolled up his sleeve and found the opening the panel fit into. He twisted it to make it fit and watched his arm morph into a cannon. He hastily examined it, realizing it was his old arm cannon he used in battle. He twisted it again and watched it morph back into his arm, breathing a sigh of relief. A small opening that a sword could fit into was left and he didn’t even bother thinking about what went there. He just picked up the sword and watched it retract into itself, easily and gracefully fitting into the hole and disappearing into the metal with ease. He smiled and turned to Boney, who had decided to lie down next to the sunflowers, waiting for Claus. He lifted his head up and his ears raised as he noticed Claus, getting up and trotting over.

_“Oh! Are you ready to go home?”_

Claus nodded and put on his backpack, casually walking behind Boney as they made their way out of the sunflowers. Boney barked and darted between Claus’s legs, leaping around the trail.

_“So what’s it like having wings? Are they fun? Do you fly like the sparrows? How far can you fly? Do the wings actually flap or do they just kinda act like a hang-glider? Sorry, I’m just curious and have a lot of questions.”_

Claus laughed and carefully unfolded his wings, watching as they elegantly slipped out of his jacket and unfurled like the wings of a bird about to take flight.

“Well, they’re kinda clunky, since they’re made of metal, and they don’t feel very nice to have on for a while. I gotta get used to them. To answer your questions; they can be fun, no I don’t fly like the sparrows, I actually don’t know how far I can fly, and the wings rarely flap and mostly act like gliders. They’re jet powered, so they function similar to a jetpack, but with more control.”

Boney gave a little nod, trotting down the path with Claus at his heels. It wasn’t long before the two had left the forest and made it back home. Claus let his wings fold back up and lock into their resting position, hidden beneath his jacket. He flopped onto his bed and stared at the nearby clock.

“2:57. Lucas and dad should be back any minute now.”

He huffed and rolled onto his side, feeling the gentle breeze from the window lightly ruffle his hair. A small click followed by the door creaking open signaled Lucas and Flint were home. Claus found he was too comfy to move, and just snuggled up, the fluffy edges of his jacket soft and warm, too warm to try and shift away from. A sudden jolt on the bed and a certain brother slamming into him forced him to move and get up.

“Hi Claus!! We’re home!!!”

Claus gave his brother an annoyed glare for just a moment, but the radiating happiness made him soften up. He couldn’t be annoyed when the ball of joy he had for a sibling was around. Lucas grinned and pointed to the commander jacket and pants Claus was wearing.

“Where’d you find those? I thought you left them by the last needle!”

Claus knew Lucas probably wouldn’t believe him if he told him the blatant truth. Sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck, he began trying to think up a believable lie.

_Ok, if he’s not going to believe me, I need something to tell him, like I found them washed up on the shore... oh! Or maybe I could tell him I found them buried in the forest, or-_

“Claus, I can hear what you’re thinking. You’re not going to fool me. Just tell me what happened!”

Claus groaned. He’d forgotten both him and Lucas had a telepathic connection since they both gained PSI. He lowered his head, avoiding eye contact.

“See, when Boney and I went in the walk, he took me to a field of sunflowers in a clearing, and... well... mom had given him instructions to put all my old gear there and show me...”

He held his breath. Any mention of their mother always brought tears to Lucas’s eyes. He hated bringing it up, but it was the truth, and he couldn’t lie, especially with the telepathic connection. Lucas remained silent for a moment before leaning over to try and make eye contact.

“You got to see mom? Did... did she have anything to say?”

Claus sighed and shook his head, waving his hands in disagreement.

“No, no, Lucas. I didn’t actually see her. Boney met her for a brief moment and he filled me in on what she said. It was just what we’ve heard before, the general ‘I love you both so much’ kinda stuff.”

Lucas frowned, but seemed to cheer up fairly quick. Claus seemed a bit scared of this. Usually Lucas burst into tears or was heartbroken for the rest of the day, so it was pretty out of character to see him acting like everything was fine.

“Well, I’m at least glad you got to hear something from her. I assume she found your jacket and pants?”

Claus nodded, and shifted his position so he was leaning forwards a bit, his face inches away from his brothers.

“Well, that wasn’t the only thing she found. She found my helmet, my sword, my arm cannon cover, and~”

He felt his back shift, his jacket and shirt being moved in order to accommodate for the metal plates unfolding. Lucas began to panic, watching as his brother calmly stared at him while his jacket seemed to shift and contort. Suddenly, his mechanical wings burst out, elegantly gleaming in the afternoon sunlight. Lucas watched in awe, his panic having faded from his mind. Claus sat back up, his wings adjusting to his position, slightly folding down as they closed. Lucas reached out a hand to touch them, but pulled away, thinking he’d cause discomfort.

“Oh, you wanna see what they feel like? I don’t mind. They only hurt around my old scars.”

He turned and opened up a wing, letting it furl out to full length, the metal giving off a glittering sheen. Lucas gently touched the wings. The wings weren’t scaly or feathery, but were metallic and cold to the touch. He noticed the wingtips weren’t pointed like they were in books and fairytales, but were open and stained black on the edges. The ‘skin’ between the wings was flexible and almost rubbery. Yet, it almost felt soft to the touch. The wings were quite large, too. Lucas found himself leaning against them and trying to see if he could fit them around his body. Claus laughed, pulled him into his lap, and carefully tucked the wings around the two of them, easily covering them both. He leaned over to boop his brothers nose before letting go of him, his wings closing behind him.

“So, I was thinking about testing these old things out again. Wanna come along with?”

There was a certain mischievous tone to his voice that Lucas couldn’t resist. He smiled and took his brothers hand.

“Absolutely! Let’s go!!”

The two ran out the door. Claus purposely tripped up his twin and tossed him onto his back, picking up speed as his wings opened and locked into place.

“You might want to hold onto something, preferably me!”

The thrusters engaged, the low hum of the engines behind them growing louder as Claus ran faster. Lucas gripped Claus’s shoulders, his legs tucking around his torso. Claus made longer strides as he gained speed, occasionally making a leap and lifting off for just a moment. He scoffed and raised his wings a bit, jumped as high as he could, and beat his wings down as fast as he could, giving him enough height to lift off, soaring into the clouds at high speed. Within moments, the two were flying high above Tazmily. From up there, the people and buildings were barely visible, just small specs in the distance. Lucas looked around in awe at the sight before him.

“Whoooaaaa!!! We’re so high up!! I could see all of the Nowhere Islands from up here!”

Claus smiled and made a small right turn, putting a hand on Lucas to make sure he didn’t wind up slipping off by mistake. A fall from this height would be fatal, and he didn’t want any harm to come from such an experience. He’d flown this high before, and had actually flown higher, so high he couldn’t breathe and fainted for a few seconds before realizing he was falling to the ground. He knew that he was flying at his limit, and anything higher would be dangerous, so he decided to try and make the flight entertaining somehow, and it wasn’t his best idea. He lifted Lucas off of him, carefully positioned his brother in his arms, then tossed him up into the air, doing a perfect loop around him and catching him as he finished the trick.

“How about we have so more fun flying around up here? I’ve got plenty more tricks up my sleeve to pull.”

Lucas went to protest, but was cut off by Claus momentarily disengaging the thrusters on his wings, causing them to plummet towards the ground.

“CLAUS WE’RE FALLING!!”

Claus snickered and flipped onto his back, his wings opening as wide as they could.

“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”

The thrusters re-engaged and the two suddenly skyrocketed back upward, Lucas clinging to Claus for dear life. He spun in the air, prying Lucas off of him to lightly toss him into the air before catching and cradling him, making a sharp turn and soaring down towards home, waving at Flint, who seemed anxious. Claus gave him a reassuring thumbs up, shooting back up to the clouds. Lucas was clinging to his jacket, his hands tightening at every tiny movement. Claus smiled and hugged him closer.

“Relax Lucas, you won’t fall. If I could do all this under mind control with little to no idea what I was actually doing, then I can do it all now. You haven’t even gotten close to falling!”

Lucas gripped tighter as Claus made a small dip in flight, lowering himself so he could see the ground better.

“B-but, you’re throwing me up in t-the air a-a-and it’s-“

“Lucas, I time each and every one of those throws. There’s no possible way for you to fall. As long as I calculate each trick before I do it, you’ll be just fine. Now, relax. I’m gonna show you something I spotted during my first trick.”

He flew back up a bit, pulling Lucas close to him as he made a slight turn, slowed down, and hovered over a certain spot.

“Ok, I’m gonna start falling towards the ground in a second. Don’t panic. I promise you that we’ll land safely. I can’t like, warp us to the ground, and drifting down is gonna take too long, so I’m taking a shortcut. I think you’ll like this, though.”

He disengaged the thrusters and tucked his wings in, suddenly dropping and rocketing towards the ground, once he was 3/4 of the way to the ground, he opened his wings back up, engaging the thrusters every so often to slow the fall a bit. His feet finally hit the ground and he skidded to a halt, digging his heels into the dirt to slow down as his thrusters kicked in at full force, lifting him off a tiny bit as he finally stopped, his wings disengaging entirely and folding up against his back.

“See? That wasn’t so bad, now was it?”

Claus gently set Lucas down, gesturing to the vast field of sunflowers in front of them. Each one stood out more than the last. He smiled as Lucas immediately ran to start picking some to bring home. Although sunflowers were fairly common in Tazmily, they were hard to come by unless you went deep into Sunshine Forest or trekked all the way up to the more high class areas of Tazmily. Claus carefully took a sunflower and began gently pulling out seeds, carefully holding them in his palm while his robotic arm plucked more and more seeds out. He left plenty in the sunflower, and took the rest that he had picked, wiped them off as best he could, and dumped them into the side pocket on his backpack. Lucas had grabbed a large bundle of the flowers and was covered in pollen. Claus couldn’t help but laugh. Lucas noticed how much pollen was in him and laughed along with. Claus tried to wipe off the yellow stains on his brothers face, and found that the color merely transferred to his hand, and wound up smudging even more on Lucas.

“Claus, I don’t think this is going to come off that easily.”

Claus sheepishly shrugged and pointed to the edge of the field.

“Well, since I can see Tazmily from here, we can head back when you’re ready. I just gotta open my wings back up real quick.”

Claus rolled his shoulders back and the wings popped out, much less elegantly this time. Lucas ran off to go get more flowers, disappearing into the field of yellow before him. Claus sat down, his wings flopping against the dirt as he lazily leaned into his hand, pollen smudging all over his face. He could see Lucas carrying sunflowers from over the top of the field. He saw the massive bundle of flowers moving over the top of the field, and sometimes he could spot Lucas’s hair, but only for a brief moment. Finally, after what felt like forever, his brother emerged from the field, literally drenched in pollen, and holding a massive bundle of sunflowers, enough to make a whole garden. Claus let out a small sigh as he got on one knee, letting his twin climb onto his back, clutching the bundle of sunflowers tightly. Claus stood back up and lifted Lucas up a bit so he was situated better on his back, the walked up to the cliff edge, and just stepped off casually. Lucas let out a yelp of fear as the two suddenly dropped down.

“Claus!!!! Engage the wings already!!!!”

Claus rolled his eyes, his hands in his jacket pockets. He outstretched his wings and the thrusters kicked in, slowing the fall by quite a bit. He casually drifted over Tazmily, gently gliding towards home. Once he was close, he curved his wings, lowering the thruster power so he just floated to the ground. Lucas hopped off and ran over to the flower beds near the sheep pen (which had been rebuilt shortly after Claus returned home from the final battle), carefully planting the sunflowers in the untouched, empty pots. It looked a bit strange to see such tall flowers in such little pots, but Claus didn’t bother complaining. He knew his brother loved sunflowers with a burning passion, and didn’t bother stopping him when it came to putting sunflowers wherever he could fit them. He folded his wings up and took off his commander jacket and pants, gently setting them on the ground next to the door, and walked over to help. As Claus began to plant the sunflowers, Lucas noticed the large slits cut into Claus’s shirt.

“Uh, Claus? What did you do to your shirt?”

“What? Oh, you mean the big openings in the back? It was for my wings so I could use them. I didn’t wanna ruin my shirt and tear it, so I tried to cut as neatly as I could.”

“Well, you did a terrible job.”

Claus laughed and gave Lucas a playful shove, taking some of the sunflower seeds and planting them alongside the flowers.

“I bet I did. How about we just finish this and go take a bath, ok? This pollen is getting kinda sticky and I don’t like it.”

“Ok, sure thing, but I wanna race you to it!”

“Ha! We’ll see if you can even beat me!”

“Are you challenging me?”

“Yeah I am! The winner gets the last slice of pizza! Deal?”

“DEAL!”

The twins hurriedly finished planting the sunflowers, then rushed off towards the riverbank, laughing the whole way there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you, the reader, enjoyed chapter 3. As always, I’m already starting the next chapter (because I have nothing better to do and my muse needs to be kept working in order to let me write all this). Expect it to come out sometime soon.
> 
> See ya later!


	4. Feverish...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claus gets sick. That’s really it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya! Just a quick self promote, but I have a Tumblr!  
> I’ll be posting art there of the story and characters (I already have my design for Claus up) soon, so go give it a follow!  
> Also, you can send in asks to my Tumblr! I’ll see if I can answer them, but it might take a while.  
> My Tumblr: ask-clauslivesau-cuzwhynot  
> 
> 
> *ahem* anyways, here’s chapter 4!

Chimera of Light, a Mother 3 fanfic

Chapter 4: Feverish...

_I officially hate everything..._

Claus groaned as he rolled over in bed, shivering as he felt a chill creep up his spine. He pulled the blankets over him as tightly as he could, desperate for warmth.

He had been playing outside in the pouring rain the previous day, and wound up forgetting that he wasn’t exactly the ‘ultimate chimera’ anymore. He came back home feeling a tad bit feverish, but shrugged it off as just exhaustion from playing. Little did he know that he had gotten a nasty stomach bug and fever from playing in the mud and rain all day. He awoke extremely early the next morning, feeling horribly nauseous, and threw up moments later. He managed to wake up both Lucas and Flint with this act, and nearly gave Lucas a panic attack. He was forced to stay home for the rest of the day. Both Flint and Lucas had to run errands, and he was told that Lucas would return home in the afternoon to help out, but Flint would have to continue running errands, so he wouldn’t be home until much later. To make up for this, Kumatora and Duster came over to help out and make sure Claus didn’t try to do anything stupid. At the current moment, he was nauseous, tired, cold, and felt like literal trash. He had a high fever, and he was extremely pale. It didn’t help that he kept going into coughing fits every couple of minutes, and to top it all off, his fever made his circuits overheat, which left him partially immobile, mainly in his right arm and in small parts of his legs.

_I can’t believe this... Did I seriously have to get sick?! I didn’t think playing in the rain and dirt like I used to would cause this much of a problem for me, not to mention my mechanical parts keep fffffffflippin overheating..._

“Claus, you hungry?”

Kumatora had been in the kitchen trying to make breakfast for them, which was a combination of pancakes and a wild berry fruit salad, something Claus would have personally loved to eat at a time like this, but his nausea was getting the best of him. He had no appetite whatsoever, and even if he did, it’s not like he could taste anything. He was so stuffed up that he couldn’t smell a dang thing, and that meant he couldn’t taste anything either. He groaned louder, causing a small coughing fit, before curling up even more under the blankets.

“I haven’t had an appetite since yesterday.”

His tone was angry and almost snobby, which made Kumatora give him a glare before flipping another pancake.

“Well, you don’t gotta be rude. I get it, being sick sucks. However, your dad was nice enough to send me and Duster over to help you and make sure you’d be comfortable, not for you to give me sass.”

Claus listened to her scoff and start plating pancakes, the faint clinking of ceramic plates being moved and set down echoing through the house. Secretly, he really did want to eat, but he would rather put up a fight because he wasn’t feeling than actually give in and eat something. He felt a surge of electricity snap through him, causing a yelp and an immediate coughing fit.

_Damn circuits... stop overheating so I can rest easy!_

He felt a gentle hand rub his back, trying to help calm the coughing fit. Claus managed to peer out from the blankets and saw Duster sitting next to him on the bed, a half smile on his face. When the fit finished, Claus lightly pounded his chest a few times with his left hand, his right arm too fried to move at the moment. Duster pulled the blanket down enough to see his face, a slightly concerned look in place of he half smile.

“You ok?”

Claus quietly scoffed and crossed his arms as best he could, his right one barely moving at all.

“I’m fine...”

Duster sighed and carefully bundled the twin up in blankets lifting him as best he could and limping over to the table, seating Claus next to him.

“Sorry to be pushy, but you really should eat something. Just don’t eat quickly. Take your time, and your stomach might settle itself.”

Duster cut a bite of pancake and ate it, looking over at Claus with the same face Flint would make when he wanted Claus to do something he refused to do. A certain glint in the eyes said it all, and the tiny, subtle frown was the clear sign he needed to do as he was told or consequences would come. He sighed angrily and pushed at the food on his plate, hoping Duster would just leave him be and not force feed him or something. He quickly glanced over and saw Duster giving a more intense stare, which made Claus curl up a bit. He knew he wasn’t doing what he should be; eating food, but at this point, he almost didn’t want to. His appetite wasn’t up for it. He attempted to move his chair back and try to shuffle back to bed, but Duster just pushed the chair back in.

“Claus, seriously, you need to eat  _something_ . Kuma even gave you just a little bit so you could stomach it all.”

“But-“

“No buts. You’re not leaving this chair until you eat something.”

Claus lowered his head. He felt like he was a little kid again. He tried one final time to scoot the chair away, and when Duster pushed it back in with slightly more force than last time, and went far enough as to put his foot behind one of the legs to stop him from moving it, he was forced to give up. He pushed the food on his plate around before snagging a blueberry with his fork. It was small, but it was something.

_Alright, if I eat this, it counts as something, and that means I can go back to trying to sleep._

He bit the blueberry off the fork, set the fork down and nearly turned to leave when Kuma gave a light tap next to him.

“A word of advice: by ‘something’, Duster means eat what I gave you, not a flippin blueberry.”

Claus groaned and laid his head on the table, angrily tucking himself into the blanket bundle he was in. Kumatora shrugged and crammed a whole pancake into her mouth, gesturing with her fork towards the two small pancakes on Claus’s plate.

“I made two tiny pancakes specifically for you. Don’t let them go to waste. Plus, if you eat something, you’ll feel better.”

Claus watched her cram another pancake into her mouth. He didn’t feel hungry at all, and had no appetite whatsoever, but since he was being forced to, he managed to push one pancake towards him, let it flop off the plate, and into his mouth. He ate it like a cow eats grass, slowly pulling the remainder of the food in while the part that isn’t being eaten yet just kinda hangs out of his mouth. Out of nowhere, his appetite came in at full force. He suddenly felt way hungrier than he should be.

_Ok, no way in hell I’m eating until I’m full. I will seriously regret that choice. Not to mention... Kumatora makes some pretty good pancakes!_

Claus’s sultry expression turned neutral, and a small smile emerged. Kumatora nearly gasped from joy, and Duster just gave a pleased smile.

“See? I knew you were hungry, you just needed to put something in that tummy.”

Kumatora grabbed a spoonful more of the fruit salad she made and dumped it onto her plate, putting the spoon back and creating little kabobs of fruit on her fork. Claus sat up and finished eating his first pancake, then tore a piece of the second one and ate it. He couldn’t taste much, but his limited senses didn’t stop him. He made sure to stay slow as to not upset his stomach for a third time, but it was difficult to not grab 7 more pancakes and devour them.

_Man... Kumatora really is a good cook! I thought she’d wind up setting the kitchen on fire, but that expectation got blown out the window. These pancakes are soooooo goooood!!_

Within minutes, Claus had finished everything on his plate. He knew he shouldn’t eat too much, but he just couldn’t resist having one more pancake. He carefully scooted forwards and leaned as far as he could over the table, managing to snag a medium sized pancake, dropping it on his plate. He waited for a moment, settling himself, before he slowly devoured the delicious pancake. He finished with a sigh, putting his fork down and lying back, but his relief was short lived, as a violent short circuit made him jolt, sending him reeling into another coughing fit, again. Duster lightly patted Claus on the back, doing his best to help. Kumatora watched as Claus struggled to breathe for just a moment, the coughing fit hitting its worst point. She went over to him and created a tiny bit of frost on her fingertips, just cold enough to slow the fit down so the poor twin could breathe. She pressed her fingers against the sides of his throat and the fit slowed to just small coughs every few seconds, letting Claus breathe. Kumatora made note of the slight raspiness in each breath, moving her hands away and heading over to the medicine cabinet.

“Y’know, if that stupid fever went away, I think he’d feel better. Like, a lot better.”

Duster turned to see Kumatora holding a bottle of medicine, reading the label. She sighed and grabbed a spoon from the silverware drawer. Duster frowned, picking up and carrying Claus back towards his bed.

“It would at least help the coughing. The poor kid can’t handle much more of those fits. If I had the ability, I’d try to cool down his circuits to at least lessen the chance of them sending him into a coughing fit, but since the parts causing the problem are buried in him, I can’t.”

Kumatora nodded, carefully pouring the medicine onto the spoon.

“Yeah, I’d use PK Freeze, but I think I’d do more harm than good. The least I can do is give him a breather in those fits. Thank god I can make my fingertips icy...”

Duster curiously leaned over to see what Kumatora was trying to do. She had the spoonful of medicine floating next to her, the faint glow of PSI around the handle, while she closed up the medicine bottle. She grabbed the sugar jar, took a little pinch, and carefully added it to the medicine. Duster gave her a confused stare.

“Uh, Kuma? What in the world are you doing?”

Kumatora turned and smiled, lowering her voice and leaning towards Duster on her tiptoes.

“I’ve had this medicine before, and it tastes like shit. He’s not gonna take it if he knows that, so I’m adding sugar to try and make it taste better. It already smells kinda bad, but he’s so stuffed up I don’t think he’ll notice.”

Duster raised his eyebrows and nodded in understanding, but noticed Kumatora still had something on her mind.

“You’re hiding something. What else if wrong?”

Kumatora shushed him and gestured with her hands to take the volume down a couple notches.

“Problem is, I think Claus is just gonna outright refuse to take it. He’s like Lucas, in which they both despise taking medicine. We’re gonna have to make him take it if I can’t convince him.”

“Why not give him ‘the look’?”

“Because we both know he’s gonna resist whether we like it or not. I need you to be on standby so in case he refuses after my attempts, I have backup. If he does refuse, I’ll need you to use those thief tools of yours to make him open up. Those won’t do him any harm, and at least one of those tools will crack him.”

Duster nodded, the familiar mischievous smirk he got whenever he got a brilliant idea slowly growing on his face. He motioned to where Claus sat, letting Kumatora lead the way.

Claus shivered and pulled the blanket closer to his body. He noticed Kumatora heading towards him, holding something behind her back. Duster was close behind, that mischievous grin on his face. Claus already knew what was about to happen. He ducked under the covers and hastily yanked the blankets over his head. Tucking himself into a tight ball, Claus pulled the blankets around himself, but he wasn’t fast enough. Kumatora snagged the blankets and covers and yanked them off of Claus, lightly draping one over him to keep him warm, and tossing the rest on the floor, out of reach. She placed a finger under his chin and lifted it up so they were eye to eye.

“Alright, I’m gonna give you 3 chances. Decline all 3, and we’re doing this the hard way, got it?”

She pointed towards him, a spoon floating from PSI, a dark red medicine was in the spoon, pointed directly at him.

“So, I added sugar to this stuff to make it taste better. It’s not gonna be candy, but it’ll sure as hell be better than what it could be. And that begs the question: are you gonna take the medicine or not?”

Claus stared at the medicine in disgust and turned his head away.

“Nope!”

Kumatora sighed and pointed at Claus again, the spoon floating just a tad bit closer.

“I’ll ask it again: are you gonna take the medicine or not? Trust me when I say you’ll feel better afterwards!”

Claus shook his head turning his body every so slightly to the right to avoid the spoonful.

“No! I’m not gonna take it!”

Kumatora bit her lip, her temper rising for a moment, but dying down when she realized that Claus could be in for it if he refused again. She pointed one final time, the spoon less than a foot away from him now.

“Last chance, buddy! You gonna take this stuff or not!”

Claus nearly shouted a sharp no, but noticed Duster had somehow made his way behind him, and in his hands was the tickle stick. Claus went wide eyed, realizing that if he refused one more time, they were going to force him. He knew that this was for his own good, and that the medicine would, in fact, help him rest up and recover much faster than without, but he just didn’t want to take it. He debated the options silently.

_Ok, do I want to suffer for a second and take this nasty crap, or do I want to be tickled until I break and then have the medicine basically force fed to me..._

Wait- no. There’s no damn way. Duster’s so much faster than me, trying to hide in the blanket would be a mistake not worth making. He’d have my arms pinned above my head before I could even fathom what was going on...

_Dammit.... I’ve got no choice..._

“Fine... I’ll take the medicine...”

He opened his mouth, anticipating the foul taste. Kumatora smiled and fed him the medicine, watching as he coughed and gagged a bit at the foul taste. The sugar helped, but it didn’t do much to dull the majority of the taste. He shook his head, sticking his tongue out in disgust.

“Ugh... yuck... that stuff tastes horrible...”

Duster gave him a pat on the back.

“I know it does, but it’s over, right?”

Claus nodded, turning to look at Kumatora.

“Hey, Kuma? Can I please have a glass of water?”

Kumatora nodded and ran to the kitchen to grab a small glass, filling it up with water, and rushing back over, sitting down on the opposite side of the bed. Claus downed the water quicker than Kumatora expected. He finished in seconds and set the glass down on the nightstand, and relaxed, slowly leaning up against Kumatora and Duster. He yawned, cuddling up in both of their laps, the blanket wrapped around him.

“Kuma, did you slip something into that medicine? I’m really... really sleepy all of a sudden...”

Kumatora let out a quiet laugh, very softly ruffling Claus’s hair.

“No, I didn’t. The medicine is supposed to help with those coughing fits you’ve been having, not with sleeping. I think you’re just tired from being so stubborn.”

Claus felt his eyelids growing heavy. He didn’t notice how tired he was until now. He’d been trying to sleep earlier, but the continuous overheating shocks kept him up for way longer than he wanted. Once those died down, he went into coughing fits every few minutes, and that kept him awake. He was still cold, but he was too tired to care. He felt Duster shift and get off the bed, so he just curled up in Kumatora’s lap, letting his eyelids close. It took only moments before he went limp, lost in a dreamy slumber. Kumatora carefully moved him out of her lap and into bed, tucking him in and getting up. She folded the blankets on the floor, grabbed the spoon and glass, put them in the sink, and then laid down on the floor.

“Jesus christ I never thought he’d go down. I’m fucking exhausted...”

Duster nodded, heading to the sink to clean up the dishes from breakfast.

“Same here. He’s a hassle, isn’t he?”

Kumatora slowly sat up, fixing her hoodie.

“He seriously is. From what Flint had told me, he wasn’t like this when he was little. I think he was just really damn tired and felt like shit. He’s apparently been awake since around 3:00 in the morning, and has maybe taken 2 tiny power naps.”

Duster nodded, drying off a plate with a towel and setting it down next to him.

“That explains it. Poor kid’s just exhausted. I’m glad he’s finally getting some rest. Who knows, maybe he’ll be cheerier when he wakes up.”

Kumatora grunted as she stood up, walking over to Duster and laying her head against his back.

“Ugh... I think I need a nap. I’m fuckin tired.”

Duster smiled and pointed to the rocking chair by the fireplace.

“The go take a nap! I can hold down the fort by myself. Claus won’t wake up anytime soon, and all I’ll have to worry about is dealing with cleaning and the like.”

Kumatora seemed a bit taken aback, raising an eyebrow.

“Uh, you sure? I mean-“

“Kuma, if you’re tired, then go nap. I told you I can hold the fort down.”

Kumatora sighed an gave a small thumbs up, walking over to the rocking chair and sitting down in it. For once, she took her hoodie off, revealing a small t-shirt that didn’t even cover her stomach. She draped the hoodie over herself as a makeshift blanket and closed her eyes. Duster waited until she was fast asleep to actually continue with his cleaning, just to make sure he wasn’t disturbing her.

“Well, since they’re both asleep, I guess I can take a load off. I’m done cleaning all this anyway.”

He checked the time and headed over to the bookshelf.

“11:20, huh? Lucas said he’d be back by 11:30-ish. Might as well read since Kuma’s asleep.”

He grabbed the first book that caught his attention and sat down against the wall, opening the book up.

~~~{+}~~~

Claus groaned and opened his eyes, the faint sound of 3 different voices quietly talking. He sat up, rubbing his eyes, his vision a tiny bit blurry. He blinked a couple times and the world came into focus, allowing him to see Duster, Kumatora, and Lucas all talking amongst themselves. Claus carefully wrapped the blanket he had on around himself and slowly shambled out of bed, nearly falling to the floor.

_Shoot... my legs are numb... I think I short-circuited in my sleep or something..._

Claus took two steps before his legs just gave out, buckling underneath him as he toppled to the floor with a thud. The noise alerted Lucas, as he came running over to the ginger twin, gently shaking him.

“Claus! You ok?”

Claus groaned, curled up in a blanketed ball.

“Yeah... my legs don’t work...”

Lucas helped his brother up, acting as support for him, while Claus struggled to gain his footing. Kumatora jogged over, easily lifting Claus and setting him back in bed, despite his minor complaints. Lucas jumped into bed, giving his brother a hug.

“I’m glad to see you’re awake! You feeling any better?”

Claus nodded, attempting to move his right arm and finding it barely moved more than a few inches, not nearly close enough to even move his fingers.

“Yeah. I still don’t feel great, but I’m definitely better than I was this morning. Come to think of it, I’m kinda hungry...”

He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, his fingers brushing against the metal hole in his neck. Kumatora perked up and made a dash for the kitchen.

“Well, guess what? I’m hungry too! What’s everybody want for lunch?”

“Anything... I just need food...”

“Pizza!”

“I’m in the mood for a salad.”

Kumatora jotted down the three suggestions on a small notecard and went to work.

After around 30 minutes, she got everyone seated, carrying the dishes out on one big plate like a waitress. She set them out in front of each respective person, and then sat down with a plate of spicy curry.Duster had a Cesar salad, Lucas had pizza, and Claus had a small bowl of chicken noodle soup. The 4 of them chatted while they ate, Claus staying relatively quiet, spare for his occasional coughing fit. The others finished eating much faster than he did. He was hungry, but it was the kind of hunger that made you nauseous. He took forever to finish the small amount of soup that was in the bowl, almost regretting his decision to eat. Lucas gave him a gentle pat on the back, trying to show a slightly enthusiastic smile, despite the fact that he knew it did nothing to help his brother feel better. Claus quietly finished his bowl and laid his head on the table. He was full, but now he felt nauseous, which wasn’t good. He slowly got up, carefully making his way back to his bed, his legs shaking. They were still fairly numb, but he was able to move them enough to walk, so he made use of what he had. Kumatora was quick to stop him by lifting him into her arms, peppily carrying him back to his bed.

“I was gonna walk there myself, you know?”

Claus frowned as he was set down in his bed. Kumatora rolled her eyes as she fixed the blanket around him.

“Yeah, and you were gonna collapse again at any moment. Your legs aren’t in any state to be moving on their own right now. If your circuits can shape up and let you move without your legs quivering like a frightened deer, then I’ll let you walk back, but until then, you’re getting carried.”

Claus huffed, momentarily curling into a ball before a violent shock coursed through him, making him scream for a second before going into a heavy coughing fit. It was the worst one yet. His lungs felt like they were going to collapse at any second, and he struggled to get in a breath. Kumatora hurriedly froze her fingertips and placed them against Claus’s neck, watching as the fit calmed down before it got out of hand.

“Th-thanks, K-Kumatora...”

Claus managed to get the words out before coughing again. The fits had gone from just coughing to pain anytime he coughed.

_I swear this fever is going to kill me..._

Claus flopped onto his back, loudly groaning as he put a hand on his chest. His right arm slightly twitched, tiny sparks of electricity coming off of the spaces between metal. The faint scent of smoke caught his attention, making him curse under his breath.

_Great. My right arm’s fried. This day just keeps getting worse and worse. I swear I-_

“Hey Claus, I wanted to give you something.”

Claus snapped his head to the voice, staring at Duster, who had begun limping over to the bed with something behind his back. Claus tilted his head to one side as Duster sat down next to him, his body turned so Claus would have to get up and craw to his side to see what he had. Duster held out a large box a smile on his face.

“Go ahead, open it.”

Claus sat up and tentatively undid the ribbons on the box, pushing the lid off with caution. Duster had a knack for pulling a prank or two, and Claus wasn’t falling for another one, not in the state he was in. He peered into the box and found a set of folded up clothes inside.

“Clothes?”

Duster nodded, motioning to take the clothes out and see what they looked like. Claus picked up each item, laying it flat out in front of him. The box wound up containing 4 shirts, 3 pairs of shorts, 3 pairs of pants, 2 pairs of shoes, a hoodie that was clearly too big for him, and a single fingerless glove. Claus looked over at Lucas, who just smiled.

“You had something to do with this, didn’t you.”

Lucas nodded, laughing.

“You keep telling me how you need new clothes and don’t want to share with me until I could take you shopping properly, so I went with Duster and Kumatora! We tried to pick out some cool stuff. Kumatora found a big hoodie, and gave you one of her old gloves. I helped stitch the fluff on the edge.”

Claus went wide eyed. He had forgotten how much he complained about not having clothes, and felt a bit ashamed for being so confused at first. He flipped through each clothing item, noticing the attention to his newly acquired tastes. When he was young, he preferred clothing that matched his twin. Nowadays, he liked stuff that was fluffy and made him look strong, but he still appreciated the childish look his brother proudly wore. The clothes he got were a mix of both, some being more strong and others being similar to ones he’d wear when he was little. He smiled and sighed.

“I wanna try all this on, but I don’t wanna infect it with sickness, so how about this; I’ll get these into my clothing drawer somehow and tomorrow, I’ll try them on, sound good?”

Everyone nodded in agreement. Kumatora got up and grabbed another box from the little cabinet near the bed, setting it down on the mattress.

“So, who’s up for a board game?”

Claus and Lucas excitedly nodded, and Duster gave a small thumbs up. Kumatora quickly opened up the box and got the game set up.

Hours flew by, and before they knew it, Claus and Lucas had to go to bed. The two slept easy, and by the next morning, Claus was feeling like his old self. He had a minor glimpse of his old thoughts from when he had just gotten sick and laughed.

_On second thought, I guess I don’t quite hate everything._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one was so damn long. I got really carried away. As always, the next chapter is being started as we speak, so expect it to be ready and up soon.
> 
> Please go follow my Tumblr! It’d be greatly appreciated! (I promise I’ll put more stuff there soon)
> 
> See you again soon!


	5. Melodies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I headcannon Claus has a beautiful singing voice and winds up expressing it in front of his brother. This is the result of said headcannon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! Sorry about how short this chapter is. I got swamped yesterday and wanted to put something out before I spent a ton of time working on chapter 6, which I plan to be angsty. I also wanted to work a bit on my ask blog (advertised in chapter 4), so I spent a chunk of time on that as well.
> 
> Anyways, I’m rambling.  
> Enjoy chapter 5!

Chimera of Light, a Mother 3 fanfic

Chapter 5: Melodies

_“~I could never find the right way to tell you, have you noticed I’ve been gone?_

_~’Cause I left behind the home that you made me, but I will carry it along.”_

The perfect-pitch notes drifted to Lucas’s ears. He was tending to the small sunflower garden he’d made when a beautiful melody caught his attention. Claus had come outside to check on him earlier, but Lucas never saw him go back inside, leading him to believe that Claus decided to sit and relax for a bit. The voice he heard was pitch-perfect, and seemed to have a harmony behind it. It sounded... familiar.

_“~And it’s a long way forward, so trust in me._

_~I’ll give them shelter, like you’ve done for me.”_

Lucas, entranced by the beautiful melody, began to follow the sound, tracing it up to the hill near their house, where a single tree sat. Underneath the tree was Claus, staring off into the sea.

_“~And I know I’m not alone, you’ll be watching over us._

_~Until you’re gone...”_

Claus looked over at Lucas and smiled, patting the spot beside him.

“Oh, hi Lucas! Come and sit, I’m a little lonely.”

Lucas jogged over and sat down, glancing at his twin.

“Was... was that you singing?”

Claus turned to look at his brother, his head slightly tilted.

“Yeah... Am I really that loud...?”

Lucas nodded, pointing to the garden he was working on.

“I could hear you from all the way over there!”

Claus lowered his head, tucking his arms around his body.

“Jeez... I bet I sounded horrid... S-sorry you had to hear all that...”

Lucas shook his head, cupping his brothers cheeks.

“What are you talking about?! You sounded amazing!! I’ve never heard you sing like that before! Where’d you even learn to sing like that anyway?”

Claus’s eyes almost sparkled from joy. He smiled, fiddling with the metal plates on his arm.

“W-well, I found it to be a good pastime to keep me busy. Porky spent only a few hours trying to brainwash me every day, so I spent the rest of the day in a single room with nothing else to do. I took it upon myself to memorize something, so when I got brainwashed I had something to hold onto. I wound up listening to music, and memorized songs on the spot. Each time I’d sing, I swore I could hear your voice singing along with me. It was what made me realize what I was doing, in a sense.”

Lucas smiled brightly, letting go of his brothers face and tracing little shapes in the dirt.

“If it’s not to much to ask, can I hear one of those songs?”

Claus nodded, looking off into the distance. He cleared his throat, tapped his chest a few times, and began to sing.

_“~Who survived? Somebody new?_

_~Anyone else but you?_

_~On a lonely night was a blinding light, a hundred leaders would be borne of you.”_

Lucas noticed the slightly different tune in the notes. It was mechanical. His normal voice wasn’t there, but was replaced with the voice of a robot, beautifully singing. Yet, the voice changed back to normal, the robotic tone fading away.

_“~And though I know, since you’ve awakened her again_

_~She depends on you, she depends on you._

_~She’ll go alone, and never speak of this again_

_~We depend on you, we depend on you”_

Lucas watched as his twin became lost in song, no longer nervous or embarrassed, but confident and proud of his voice. He heard the robotic tone come back, singing in perfect harmony beside Claus’s own voice.

_“~And though I know, since you’ve awakened her again_

_~She depends on you, she depends on you_

_~She’ll go alone, and never speak of this again_

_~We depend on you_

_~I’ll depend... on you”_

Claus hummed out some of the melody, his voice carrying over the wind. Suddenly, his voice became robotic once more, but it was much smoother this time.

_“~I don’t know much about your life beyond the walls-_

_~The fleeting sense of love within these God-forsaken halls_

_~And I can hear it in his voice, in every call_

_~This girl who’s slept a hundred years has something after all”_

As the verse progressed. Claus’s voice changed and gained its old tone beneath the robotic melody. Lucas was amazed. He never knew his brother could do something like this. He listened as Claus quieted down to humming once again, and his normal voice came into focus once more, followed by the robotic one swiftly taking over for a brief moment.

_“~And though I know, since you’ve awakened her again_

_~She depends on you, she depends on you_

_~I’ll go alone, and never speak of you again_

_~We depend on you, we depend on you”_

Lucas watched his brother relax and focus more on singing. He’d never seen Claus like this before, and he was honestly impressed. Claus’s voice grew louder, the robotic and normal tones mixing together as one.

_“~And though I know, since you’ve awakened her again_

_~She depends on you, she depends on you_

_~She’ll go alone, and never speak of this again_

_~We depend on you_

_~I’ll depend...on you.”_

Claus’s voice dulled down to humming, finishing out the remainder of the melody before a small click signaled he had finished. He looked over at Lucas, only to see him clapping. Claus felt his face grow hot with embarrassment. He had a knack for getting passionate about what he was singing when he forgot others were listening. Lucas lunged into a hug, knocking his twin onto their back.

“That was amazing!! Your voice did this cool robotic thing and it overlapped with you normal voice and it was so cool!!!”

Claus laughed, his brother enthusiastic, high pitched squeals of excited praise echoing in the air. He pried his brother off of him, sitting up, and touching his cold metal hand to his cheek, hoping to make the blushing go away.

“I’m glad you liked it! I uh, I guess I got a little carried away at the end...”

Lucas laughed, returning to his spot next to his twin.

“No way! I thought it was amazing!”

Claus moved his hand away from his cheek, clearing his throat again.

“Well, if you liked it so much, why not hear another?”

Lucas excitedly nodded, getting comfortable next to his brother. Claus took a deep breath, and began to sing once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, sorry this ones so short!
> 
> I’ll be working on chapter 6 once I’ve got this up, and when I’ve gotten a start on that, I’ll be adding art to the ask blog, which might I add, I’d appreciate if you’d give it a follow, or even send in an ask. Don’t remember the link? Check the beginning notes of chapter 4.
> 
> Thanks again!
> 
> See you again soon!


	6. Bloody, Broken Circuits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claus gets his first encounter with the Chimera Laboratory, meets an old co-worker, and gets really damn hurt.
> 
> Reminder that Claus gets really damn hurt. I don’t go into heavy detail, but he’s got some injuries that are pretty nasty. Blood is also scarcely mentioned (I think it’s like twice but I’m not looking the whole thing over for the exact number)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAACCCK SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG
> 
> I had originally expected chapter 6 to be out over 3 days ago, but thanks to some last minute arrangements (that I didn’t know about until 2 hours prior to), as well as some arrangements made in advance, I got swamped. I managed to complete chapter 6, so I guess that’s all that matters.
> 
> Enjoy chapter 6!

Chimera of Light, a Mother 3 fanfic

Chapter 6: Bloody, Broken Circuits

Hurried footsteps echoed through the forest. A thunderous roar broke the peace of the lush grove, birds flapping, animals dashing around. The beast behind him bulldozed down anything in its way. It was no longer docile, now a monstrous, vicious beast. Another roar signaled it was growing closer and closer. He already had enough injuries, he couldn’t take anything more. He sprinted around a bend, tree branches battering his body as he ran. He glanced back for just a moment to see the beast, cloaked by the dense foliage, just a few feet away. He pushed the last of his strength into a final desperate burst of speed, whizzing around trees and bushes. One final glance back, and he saw the beast was disappearing into the trees, getting farther and farther. He turned back, and noticed a cliff just feet away. He came to a screeching halt.

_I’ve got nowhere else to run..._

_I can’t take much more of this... oh, what am I saying, I can’t take ANY more of this! One more blow and I’m done for..._

He turned to look at the beast as it grew closer. He watched as it picked up speed, closing in on him. His vision started to waver, dark spots forming around the edges of his sight. He stumbled a bit, teetering to one side, then to the other. It was the end, and he knew it. The beast lunged at him, and then everything went black...

~~~{+}~~~

_*Click*_

_*Click Click*_

_*Whrrrr*_

_*ZAP!*_

Claus snapped awake, letting out a yelp as a strong jolt of electricity shot through him. He attempted to sit up, but found himself pinned to a metal table, held down by leather restraints. He groaned as his head pulsed with sudden pain, instantly returning to the position he was in to dull the searing, pulsating pain. It took him a second to realize he was shirtless, his circuits and internal mechanics completely exposed. He also noticed that he couldn’t see out of his left eye. He pulled at the restraints, finding his entire right arm wouldn’t even respond, and that he was almost unable to move, spare for his head. He glanced around the room with his only functional eye and found that the room looked all too familiar.

_Is this... the old maintenance room...?_

Claus looked up and saw a huge mirror that was the same size as the table he was on. He could easily see everything that was happening. Little mechanized arms with tools were carefully fixing up broken and bloody circuit boards. Larger mechanized arms were tinkering with his eye and the wires underneath. He saw his wings were also being tampered with, as well as his helmet. His right arm was being unhinged, the clamps that held it in place being removed until it came right off, leaving Claus with a small stump that the arm attached to. He watched the arms move from part to part, tiny electrical shocks and mechanical whirrs breaking the occasional silence. A sudden click from the door behind him snapped him from his thoughts. A figure wearing a helmet and weak armor walked in, silently assessing him.

_That outfit... it looks like the ones the Pigmasks wear!! Oh god, am I being brainwashed again?! Please tell me I’m not going through that again..._

The figure walked over to the computer system to the left of Claus and tapped a few buttons and keys, watching as the arms altered their course of action. Claus turned to look at the figure, watching as they glanced back at Claus for a moment before going back to tapping on keys. They finished moments later and gave Claus a gentle pat on the head before starting for the door. Claus perked up and craned his neck to try and see them.

“W-wait! Hold on! What are you doing to me? What happened? How did I even get here in the first place?!”

The figure chuckled, a muffled male voice speaking from underneath the helmet.

“Don’t panic, you’re fine. We discovered you were being chased by a chimera that got loose. You were badly injured, so we took you back here to fix you up. The repairs should be done within the next hour, so sit tight until then.”

The figure then promptly left without another word, leaving Claus to put together what happened to him.

_ Well... let’s see... I was running from that  thing , and I fought it for a bit... but then I started running away... and then there was a cliff... Ugh, I can’t remember anything besides that... I must’ve blacked out after that. So... how’d I get here? I guess the Pigmask-looking guys brought me here, but weren’t they working with Porky? Maybe they changed... But then there’s the issue with why they’re helping me? How’d they even find me in the first place? I was in the middle of nowhere and- _

“Kid? You awake?”

The same male voice from before snapped him out of his thoughts. He craned his neck again and saw the figure standing at the doorway.

“Y-Yeah, I’m awake!”

The figure nodded and walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Good. Repairs are complete. I’ll remove the restraints, but I ask that you follow me after I do. You’re not in any condition to return home.”

Claus felt the clamps of his right arm violently snap into place, eliciting a small yelp from the ginger twin. He felt the restraints release, allowing him to move, which he quickly regretted. He threw on his old shirt, and pushed himself off the table. Pain surged through his body as he stood up, nearly doubling over onto the floor, but was quickly caught and supported by the figure.

“Don’t push yourself, you’re still weak from those injuries, and I doubt you’ll be able to move very much without help.”

Claus winced as he was gently pulled forwards. He was putting his full weight against the figure. He slowly stumbled forwards, a jolt of pain shooting through his body with each step. The figure seemed to be able to hold him up with ease, which was a good thing, since Claus could barely feel his own legs moving underneath him.

Over the course of the long walk to the room he was going to be put in until he healed, he nearly collapsed more than once, and just about fell flat onto the floor each time he went down a small ramp. The one staircase that was between his room and the hallway was the worst, as he struggled to even make it halfway up, ending up smashing face first into the concrete stairs, which caused a pretty nasty nosebleed. By the time he got to the room, he swore he was more bruised than when he was in the maintenance room. The figure helped him down onto a small couch, grabbing a tissue and cleaning up the blood that had trickled down Claus’s face and onto his tattered shirt, leaving a red stain. The figure made sure the bleeding had stopped before taking a small syringe and injecting the contents into Claus’s left arm.

“There. That should dull the pain for a while.”

Claus tilted his head, wincing as his vision went blurry for a brief moment.

“So, if you don’t mind me asking, where am I, and what exactly happened to me?”

The figure chuckled, carefully wrapping a roll of fabric bandages around the clamps of Claus’s right arm.

“You’re in the new Chimera Laboratory. It was built near Tazmily Village. Now, before you panic, you’re not being experimented on. Me and the other employees simply recognized you and figured we could help. To answer your other question, there was a hostile chimera that escaped the facility and happened to come across you. You were unconscious, badly injured, and in no condition to make it back home by yourself, so we took you here. You were in the maintenance room for approximately 3 hours before you woke back up. In that time, we had the machines fix you up, heal the majority of the injuries you had taken, and restore functionality to your mechanical parts, although I can’t guarantee they’ll work right away.”

Claus let out a small sigh, attempting to move his right arm and finding it would barely lift more than an inch or two.

“At least I’m alive...”

The figure nodded, tying a neat bow and cutting the bandage, putting the roll back in his pocket.

“Mhmm. Now, you need rest. I’d give you a small anesthetic, but I don’t know how well that’s bode over, so I’ll let you stay here and decide whether you want to sleep or not. I’ll come back to check on you in a few hours.”

And with that, the figure promptly exited the room, closing and locking the door behind him. For a moment, Claus thought he heard the door open, but quickly discovered it was still locked.

_Ok, I heard a click, so why isn’t it unlocked? Unless..._

Claus turned to see another door had opened, but it didn’t lead out of the room. Rather, it led into a separate room where someone or something was being kept. The second the door opened, a cherry-pink gelatinous mass emerged from the opening. Claus nearly screamed in fear, darting behind the couch, somehow managing to fit behind it. He bit his lip to stifle the wince of pain he was about to elicit, watching as the slimy blob moved around the room, making adorably cute squeaks as it looked around. It leaned down and sniffed the floor, then began moving towards where Claus had hidden himself. He began to panic, seeing the tiny glimpse of the creature heading towards him. Claus couldn’t help but panic more as the blob came closer and closer. It sniffed the couch, practically inches away from Claus’s hand. He noticed the faint scent of sweet cherries emanating from the creature. For a brief moment, he relaxed, only to scream in panic as the creature managed to grab ahold of him and drag him out from behind the couch. It was quick to immobilize him, it’s slimy, gelatinous body wrapping around him. The creature purred and squeaked as Claus was carefully shifted onto his back, his body resting up against the blob. He looked up and found the creature had a face, or at least, had a resemblance to a face. It had 4 sparkling blue eyes, and a small little mouth that dripped with a pale pink liquid, but that was it. The rest of the creature was just a blob. Claus struggled against the creature, but found his body wasn’t responding as much as it did before. He noticed how tired he suddenly was, and the fact that all his muscles had relaxed, leaving him a helpless, limp body in the grasp of this creature.

_What is this thing doing to me?! Why can’t I move? And why do I feel so tired? Not to mention, this thing smells like cherries, and is putting some kind of liquid on me. Please tell me it’s not acidic..._

The blob snuggled up against him, purring loudly. Claus could feel the blob shifting to make him and itself more comfortable. In seconds, he felt the entire creature warm up around him, acting as a squishy blanket. He felt so tired, and the creature was so comfy and warm. Claus sighed and relaxed, curling up to the gelatinous mass. The creature made a joyful squeak in response and nuzzled his head.

_Well, this thing seems harmless, and that liquid hasn’t burned me yet, so I guess it’s ok._

Claus yawned, stretched a bit, and nestled himself into a decent sleeping position. He closed his eyes for just a second, and wound up falling asleep. The gelatinous blob felt his body go completely limp and shifted a tiny bit to support it better, relaxing on top of him.

~~~{+}~~~

Claus began to regain consciousness hours later, the faint voice of the figure from earlier pulling him out of his dreamy sleep.

“Ngh... five more minutes...”

Claus rolled over onto his side, his back to the figure. The figure sighed and gave Claus a light shove.

“No... I said five more minutes...”

The figure groaned and whispered something to the creature, then stepped back. Claus felt the blob poking and prodding at him, making little squeaks with each poke. Claus burst into giggles and curled up, pushing away the blob.

“Ok! Ok! I’m awake!!”

He sat up, the gelatinous mass releasing his upper body, but still laying itself on his legs. The figure let out a soft snicker, extending a hand to help Claus up. Claus gladly took the figures hand. His legs emerging from the gelatinous creature.

“So what is this, uh... thing? I’m not sure what to call it.”

“This? Oh, her name is Cherry. She’s one of the three harmless chimera here. I put her in here with you so you’d actually rest. I’ve known you long enough to know you don’t rest easily.”

Claus was taken aback. He got into a slightly defensive stance.

“Hold on- I’ve never met you before. How the hell do you know me?!”

The figure laughed, pointing to their nameplate, which was a series of numbers and 2 letters.

“Comman- I mean, Claus, I was one of the Pigmask soldiers from the beginning. I was a general for a while, and you worked with me multiple times. I went by ‘General 473 HB’. I assume you don’t remember, do you?”

Claus hastily shook his head, relaxing a bit.

“I-I don’t, sorry. But, I’ll take your word for it. You seem familiar, now that I think about it.”

The figure nodded, motioning to the door.

“It’s fine, I wouldn’t expect you to remember. For now, I managed to clean off your jacket and pants, and I grabbed a clean shirt for you. It’s the least I could do.”

Claus smiled, heading towards the door. He still winced a bit with each step, but he didn’t need to lean on anyone for support, so he called it an improvement. The two walked down the hallway and to a large room that resembled the maintenance room. Luckily, Claus didn’t injure himself on the way there. He took the shirt, hastily changed into it, threw on his commander jacket and pants, and fixed his hair, which had become matted and tangled. He looked like his old self, besides the huge gash on his right cheek. Claus sighed. It felt good to be in his old clothing, despite some of the bad memories he had with it. The figure stood close by while Claus fixed the fluff on his jacket, making sure it wasn’t going to get caught on anything. He turned to the figure once he had finished, putting his hands on his hips, smirking.

“Well? How do I look?”

“Wonderful, as always.”

Claus smirked more and put his hands in his pockets, walking towards the figure.

“Sooooo, when exactly do I get to find my way back home, or am I gonna be stuck here for the next week?”

The figure shook their head, motioning to the door again.

“Well, you’re able to move around without assistance, right? I say you’re set to head out whenever you please. But, I have one request. I know you have bad memories with the chimeras, seeing as you are one yourself, but I think all of us here would appreciate seeing you come back every once in a while. Some of us truly miss seeing you.”

Claus nodded, grabbing his helmet and putting it on his head, feeling his hair smush down to fit inside.

“If it means I can work with creatures like Cherry, absolutely! I’ll see if I can bring Lucas along with next time!”

Claus waved to the figure as he dashed out the door. It was all coming back to him, the layout of the lab, the creatures that were kept there, and even the people who worked there. It almost felt like a weird dream. He rushed through hallways, mapping the layout in his head like he used to, and before long, he had made it to the entrance of the labs. The doors opened automatically, and the landscape brought back memories instantly. Although, most of them were bad, he had a fond memory of riding along the backs of chimeras through the forest. He jogged up to the bottom of the hill, examining the scenery. A sudden shouting snapped caught his attention.

“CLAUS?! CLAUS WHERE ARE YOU?!”

Claus ran after the voice, finding Kumatora, standing in the middle of the woods.

“Uh, hi Kuma!”

Kumatora nearly tackled Claus to the floor in a hug, squeezing the breath out of him.

“CLAUS!! YOU’RE OK!!”

Claus stifled a cough, pushing at Kumatoras arms.

“K-Kuma... y-you’re *cough* suffocating m-me...”

Kumatora loosened her grip, letting Claus breathe.

“Sorry about that! Forgot how strong I am! Anyways, where the hell were you?! Me and Duster have been searching for hours!”

Claus realized he had no idea how long he’d been out for. He had gone to take a walk in the forest that morning, early enough that Lucas wasn’t up yet, although he made sure to leave a note. He planned to return before breakfast, but wound up encountering that hostile chimera, which chased him through Sunshine Forest, and all the way up to the Drago Plateau. He must’ve been out for at least 5 hours total, as the sun had nearly reached its peak in the sky. He stared at Kumatora, almost dumbfounded at how long he’d been gone.

“I, uuhhhh....”

Claus sighed, lowering his head.

“I was out walking in the forest this morning and got attacked by a hostile chimera. I literally was mauled by the thing, nearly had my arm taken off in the process, and was brutally injured. I fainted, and woke up on a big metal table. Huge machines were working at my circuits and-“

“Waitwaitwaitwaitwait, lemme get this straight: You woke up on a metal table, like, the surgery tables?! Claus, where the ffffuck were you?!”

“Kuma, I’m getting to that. I woke up on a metal table, huge machines were working on my circuits and internal mechanics. Then, this guy, who was apparently one of the generals in the Pigmask army, came in and kinda explained-“

“Hold on, a PIGMASK?! CLAUS WHY THE F-“

Claus sharply put a hand over Kumatoras mouth, silencing her.

“I can explain, if you’d kindly let me finish. So the former general came in and kinda explained how and why I got there. I freaked out, same as you just did. He told me that I was in a newer version of the Chimera Laboratory, one that was refurbished and rebuilt to make it friendlier and easier to navigate. I was in maintenance due to the fact that I had literally gotten half of my circuits damaged almost beyond repair. I was told that nothing was wrong, I wasn’t going to be brainwashed, and this general, as well as multiple other people in the Pigmask army, were no longer working for Porky, and had instead turned their hopes for leadership to me, I guess.”

Claus moved his hand away from Kumatoras mouth, wiping his hand on his shirt.

“Now, you may speak.”

Kumatora was speechless. She just stared blankly at Claus. Besides the visible cuts and bruises, Claus didn’t seem hurt, nor did he seem like he was brainwashed.

“Fine, I’ll believe you.”

She let go of him and took his hand, her grip too tight to slip out of.

“Let’s hurry up and get back to your house. Last I saw, Lucas was in tears because you weren’t back. Duster told me he had a breakdown a few hours ago. He’ll be relieved to see you’re ok.”

Claus nodded, and was sharply tugged forwards, stumbling as he tried to keep pace with the princess.

It only took a couple minutes to get home. Kumatora nearly kicked the door open when she got to it, frantically looking around at the room. In the corner, Duster was sitting by Lucas, comforting the blonde twin. Very faint sobs and sniffles could be heard, as well as small, shaky whimpers and mumbles. Duster spoke in a soft, low tone, which sounded like a low hum to Claus. Kumatora gave Claus a hard jab to the shoulder and jerked her thumb towards Lucas.

“Go over there and talk to him. If you want privacy, just give me a nod.”

Kumatora knocked on the wall 3 times, motioning to Duster for him to leave Lucas be. Duster nodded and gave Lucas a gentle pat before leaving Lucas alone. Claus solemnly walked over and knelt down, leaning over to see his brothers face.

“Hey, Lucas. Look, I’m right here.”

Lucas slowly looked up, his eyes widening. He lunged into a hug, his quiet sobs turning into near wails. Claus let his twin bury their face in his chest, tears staining his shirt. He gently rubbed his brothers back, holding him close as Lucas dug his nails into the scars on Claus’s back. Lucas, after a few moments, managed to calm down enough to speak.

“C-claus... wh-where did you *sniffle* go? I *sob* was so... I was so worried...”

Lucas broke down again, his wails becoming muffled as he pressed his face harder into Claus’s chest. Claus ran a hand through his brothers hair. He lowered his head and bit his lip.

“Lucas, I didn’t mean to be gone for so long. I only meant to take a little morning walk to clear my head, but... I got attacked. A hostile chimera spotted me and engaged me in combat. I lost, and made a break for it. It, well... it resulted in me taking a lot of nasty injuries. Heh, I nearly got my right arm taken clean off...”

He paused for a moment, shaking his head.

“I got taken in by some former Pigmasks. They fixed me up, and now I’m ok. I’ve just got a few scrapes, see?”

Lucas very slowly lifted his head and stared at his brothers face. Claus had a nasty cut across his right cheek, and had a slightly bloody nose, but he was otherwise unharmed. Claus gave a cheeky grin, which made Lucas giggle.

“Y-Yeah... *sniffle* You’re ok...”

Claus squeezed Lucas into a tighter hug, fluffing up his brothers hair.

“So, if I’m ok, then that means you don’t have to cry, ok?”

Claus wiped the tears off his twins face, then pressed his forehead to his brothers.

“I don’t like seeing you cry. I promise you, that if I don’t return at the time I’m supposed to, I’m not dead. I’m probably just hurt, or lost, or maybe both. BUT! Being hurt or lost doesn’t mean I’m gone forever! I’ll always fine my way back to you, little bro, ok?”

Lucas nodded, rubbing his eyes. He turned and spotted Kumatora and Duster smiling at the twins, Kumatora giving the two a big thumbs up. Claus smirked and swiftly whisked Lucas off his knees and into his arms, wrapping him in the blanket that had been draped around him earlier. Lucas yelped and clung to Claus, tightly gripping the ginger twins shirt. Claus casually walked over to Kumatora and presented the bundle of Lucas to her like a prince presenting a sword.

“Your majesty, I present to you a bundle of sweetness. Please accept my gift.”

Kumatora stifled a snicker as Lucas burst into giggles. She took Lucas into her arms, curtsying.

“I will accept your gift, small prince.”

Kumatora carefully lifted the bundle of Lucas up and leaned him up against her shoulder. Claus stood up and bowed, then burst into laughter. He remembered doing things like this with Flint and Hinawa. He’d bundle Lucas up after he’d finished crying and royally present him to his parents, which would always lighten the mood. Lucas turned his head and shifted in the blanket, sliding out of it and onto the floor. He stood in front of Claus and sighed, clearing his head.

“So, what exactly happened in the Chimera Laboratory?”

Claus chuckled and smiled.

“It’s a long story. How about I just show you?”

Lucas cocked his head to one side.

“I don’t see why not. Lead the way, big bro.”

“Hey! I’m coming with, too!”

“Don’t forget about me! Slow down! You know I can’t run that fast!”

The 4 shot out the door and headed towards the forest, Claus in the lead. Little did Lucas know, he was going to have a much bigger role in the Laboratory than he first expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, this is kinda important down here, so take a sec to read it over.
> 
> I’ve got about a month left before school comes in to bite me in the ass. I’ve got the ask blog I made up and running, and that’s going to be another priority. Once school starts back up, my work load is going to add up, meaning it may take a while for chapters to come out.  
> I’ll try to work on them as much as I can, but if something doesn’t come out when I said it does, please be patient. I’m a high schooler, and I have after school activities, so I don’t have infinite amounts of time to work.  
> Like I said, I’ve got about a month left, so I’m going to try and work more on chapters while I still have the chance. Hopefully, I can strike a balance between school and writing.
> 
> Ok, sorry about that. Just had to get that off my chest.  
> As of now, I’m gonna start chapter 7, and hopefully, I’ll have it done by later this week. If not, I apologize.
> 
> See you again soon!


	7. Chimeras and Commanders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Chimera Laboratory gets a new Commander.
> 
> Aka: Claus promotes his brother to commander status because he can.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK I GOTTA MOVE FAST ITS REEEEALLLY LATE I SHOULD BE IN BED
> 
> Hooray it’s chapter 7! I managed to finish it before my last week of dance happened! I cant start chapter 8 rn, so I’ll start it back up tomorrow.
> 
> I gotta get to bed, so please enjoy chapter 7!

Chimera of Light, a Mother 3 fanfic

Chapter 7: Chimeras and Commanders

“Commander L, Commander C, we’re glad to have you here working with us, and we’re especially happy to have you back, Commander C.”

General Xavix saluted the two and promptly left the room. Lucas nervously walked over to the bed in the center of the room and flopped onto it, screaming into the pillows. Claus sat down next to him.

“I don’t see why you’re so nervous. The people here aren’t working for Porky anymore. There’s nothing to worry about.”

Lucas lifted his head up and glared at Claus, which made Claus recoil back a bit.

“I didn’t sign up to be a  Commander ! You told me I was going to help, not lead!”

“Lucas, you know for a fact I didn’t say that. I told you that they’d probably give you a similar role to mine, since not only are we identical twins, but you also have a lot of the same credentials as me. You’re easy to work with, understanding, willing to cooperate, get along with others pretty easily, and you can use PSI. The only difference between us is that I can handle much rougher chimeras, mainly because I’m half cyborg.”

Lucas groaned and sat up, tucking his knees into his chest.

“But, what if they mechanize me like they mechanized you? What if I get brainwashed? I don’t wanna be a vicious beast... I’m scared they’re going to hurt me and-“

“Lucas. Listen to me. If something terrible were to happen to you, like you shattered your arm beyond repair like I did, they’d mechanize it. The mechanical parts I got were almost entirely due to injuries I undertook fighting the Drago and falling off Drago Plateau. The other things like the arm cannon, the wings, and even a few metal coats, were all just Porkys idea of cool enhancements to make me stronger. They won’t do that to you because there’s no flipping reason to!”

Claus put his hands on the blondes shoulders, intently staring at him.

“You know damn well that I’d give up every limb on my body to keep you safe. If they tried anything, they wouldn’t see the light of day ever again, and I can promise you that.”

Claus sighed and let go of his brother, standing up.

“All they’re going to do is give you a uniform identical to mine, with sizing changes to fit you, of course. You’ll get the whole shtick: gloves, helmet, jacket, pants, boots, and a nameplate. We’ll look literally identical in them, and that’s what they want. If we look the same, then we can swap places for some duties, and it’ll help when it comes to calming chimeras.”

Lucas tilted his head to one side, confused.

“Claus, how will us looking identical help calm chimeras? I don’t see the use in that...”

Claus smirked and tapped a button by the bed, creating a hologram of him and his brother in their uniforms up against an upset chimera.

“You see, the chimeras specifically recognize me in my uniform. I’ve worked with them for around 3 years, so they know how I am, and will calm down fairly quickly when I’m put into play.”

The hologram flickered and changed to an image of the twins in identical uniforms, displaying multiple text boxes of information around each part of the uniform.

“You and I are identical in almost every aspect, this includes our scent and body structure, which almost every chimera recognizes someone by. If we’re both wearing identical uniforms, the upset chimera in question would recognize either of us as me, and calm down quicker than it would if just a random soldier dealt with it.”

The hologram flickered back to the original image, but this time, the chimera moved and swiped at the twins.

“If both of us work together, we can make the chimera calm down even faster, since it’ll realize there’s two of me, or at least, some variant of me.”

The hologram flickered once more and disappeared. Claus gave Lucas a gentle pat on the back, reassuring him.

“Trust me, this is going to be fun! I won’t be lonely when I work anymore, and you’ll get to see all the cool stuff this place has to offer. If I can remember correctly, you only met the Ultimate Chimera, which was hostile at the time. Don’t let that one experience determine how this whole things gonna go, ok?”

Lucas slowly nodded, sighing. He stood up and tried to clear his mind, tapping his foot. Claus smiled, walking over to the mirror on the wall to make sure his left eye was synced up with his right. He’d noticed that it’d been sluggish and would respond almost 5 seconds after his other eye, which was bad. He groaned as he looked to one side, then the other, his vision getting blurry and weird. He shut his eyes and carefully made his way to the bed without opening them, laid down, and opened up his right arm, revealing a large digital keyboard with small, intricately places keys. He tapped on a select few before his right arm went limp, slamming onto the bed. Lucas whipped around to see Claus laying there awkwardly, rhythmically tapping the fingers of his left hand against the mattress.

“Claus! Are you ok?!”

Claus nodded, grabbing a notebook off the nightstand and scribbled something down, showing it to Lucas.

“My left eye... is... m-malfunctioning...? Is that right?”

Claus nodded, scribbling down more words.

“I had to r-restart... my circuit board... and it shut... my- does that say ‘juice sox’?”

Claus shook his head, attempting to spell it out in the air.

“OOOHHHH Its ‘voice box’! Ok, I got it. So, I had to restart my circuit board and it shut my voice box down... so, I can’t talk... for the next... Claus is that a 5 or an 8?”

Claus rolled his eyes and drew a 5 in the air.

“Ok, it’s a 5, and don’t roll your eyes at me! It’s not my fault your handwriting looks like chicken scratch!”

Claus flipped the page and scribbled down more on the new page.

“Your hand... writing is just as... bad as m-mine? Claus, I can write in cursive with both hands. Mine is way better than yours.”

Claus playfully shoved him, closing the notebook up and tossing it back onto the nightstand. Lucas gave a playful shove in return and laid down next to him.

“You know you didn’t even have to write all that down, right? We’ve got a telepathic connection. You could’ve told me through your mind.”

Claus went wide eyed, then made a silent groan, which made Lucas laugh.

“Did you seriously forget that already?!”

Claus nodded, frowning slightly as Lucas went into hysterics for a moment.

_“It’s not that funny, Lemon Drops.”_

Lucas waved a hand and slowly managed to calm down enough to speak.

“It is absolutely that funny, Commander Cinnamon.”

_“HOW DID YOU FIND THAT CONFIDENTIAL PIECE OF INFORMATION?!”_

Lucas spiraled back into laughter again, his brother weakly clawing at him.

“General Anahi told me about it!! Blame her not me!!”

Claus managed to get Lucas into a weak headlock, pinning the blonde down with his partially functional legs.

_“LIAR! GENERAL ANAHI PLEDGED TO KEEP THAT A SECRET! SHE WOULDN’T TELL A FLEDGELING LIKE YOU SUCH CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION!”_

Lucas didn’t even bother to struggle against his brother. He was easily able to pry the ginger off of him, and when he did, he gave a playful punch to his arm.

“That’s a lie and you know it. You just don’t want to admit that I have a nickname for you now, too.”

Lucas smirked as Claus pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head.

_“That’s not the case. I’m only mad because she told you about this and didn’t bother to tell me she broke her oath. I’ll let her off the hook this time, but only if I get half of the candy Kumatora gave you.”_

“I’ll give you 1/4 of it and we’ll have a deal.”

_“Fine, 1/4 it is.”_

The two shook hands. Claus felt a small surge of power rush through him. A loud whirr and click signaled his circuits were all powered up and functional. He smirked and launched onto his brother, pinning him in seconds.

“However, I’m still gonna get you for this!”

Lucas flailed helplessly as his arm twisted behind his back, locking into place.

“OKOKOK!! I’M SORRY!”

Claus swiftly let go and got off the blonde, brushing himself off as Lucas rubbed his arm.

“I forgot how strong you are... ack...”

The two stared at each other for a moment before laughing, sitting down on the bed to chat while they waited. A sudden knock snapped their attention to a silver Pigmask, who was standing in the doorway.

“Ah! I apologize if I was intruding. The machines are fully operational. Whenever you two are ready, we can begin.”

Claus smiled and took his brother hand, running to the door.

“We’re all set, right?”

Lucas shakily nodded, his gaze drifting to his shoes. The Pigmask sighed and knelt down, placing a hand on the blondes shoulder.

“Commander L, I can assure you that nothing will happen to you. Your brother has gone through this countless times and has come out without a single scratch each and every single time. You’ve got nothing to worry about. Now then, if you two could please follow me.”

The Pigmask turned and began leading the twins through a set of winding hallways. To Lucas, the place was like a massive labyrinth. Claus, on the other hand, seemed as confident as ever. The three strolled into a large room with 2 huge machines, each large enough to fit an adult inside and still have room. Lucas felt his stomach sink. He dug his heels into the ground as Claus pulled him along effortlessly to the machines. The ginger lifted Lucas off his feet and carefully placed him in the huge machine, then stepped into his own. The doors shut in front of them, a small puff of steam escaping the crack as it closed. Lucas felt his head going numb, his body beginning to shake. He locked his arms around his body and shut his eyes, bracing for whatever was to come next. A sudden blast of water made him quickly draw in air, holding it, praying he wouldn’t drown. His body became weightless, and when he opened his eyes, he found himself floating in a slightly greenish liquid. In a panic, he wound up exhaling the breath he had, but he quickly realized that he could breathe with no trouble whatsoever.

_“Hey, Lemon Drops, you alright over there?”_

Lucas turned to see Claus waving to him from his tank. Lucas swam to the wall closest to his twin, his mind frantically racing with thoughts.

_ “Claus what’s going on?! I’m scared! Why are we in this liquid?! What even is this liquid?! I’m-“ _

_“Lucas, relax. This is how they evaluate me. It’s like a big health check, but it’s done with technology. Just swim around, and it’ll be done before you know it!”_

Lucas relaxed. If his brother wasn’t panicking, then he shouldn’t either. He kicked his legs a bit and floated upwards, a smile spreading on his face. He’d forgotten how much he liked swimming. Claus watched as his twin laughed, flipping and twirling around in the liquid. Lucas spun like a mermaid, gracefully twirling around and finishing with an elegant bow. Claus clapped, giving the blonde a very enthusiastic thumbs up. Lucas smiled and looked over at the Pigmasks, who were diligently typing on the keys and chatting amongst each other.

_“How long does this usually take? A few minutes? An hour?”_

Claus shrugged, glancing over and tapping on the glass.

_“Usually it only takes a couple of minutes. They might be logging in data on you, which takes longer than it should.”_

A Pigmask jogged up to the glass, pressing the side of their helmet to the tank. Claus shouted as loudly as he could.

“HOW MUCH LONGER IS THIS GONNA TAKE?”

The Pigmask nodded and turned to his cohorts, asking them the question. They peppily said something in response, too quiet for Claus to hear. The Pigmask nodded again and held up 6 fingers, then made an ‘m’ in the air.

_“‘Bout 6 more minutes.”_

Lucas sighed, floating onto his back, crossing his arms.

_“It’s just kinda boring in here. It’s not as big as I first expected, nor is it as fun as the ocean. I... I want out.”_

Claus rolled his eyes, pressing his face up to the tank wall.

_“Yeah, I know. Remind me to take you swimming out by Tanetane island. It’s really pretty if you dive and see the ocean floor.”_

_“Wait, you can dive?! I thought the mechanical parts would short circuit or something!”_

_“Lemon Drops, these people were smart enough to think of that. There’s waterproofing in the metal plates. It’d only short circuit if I were to open it up or switch to my arm cannon mid-swim.”_

Lucas excitedly flipped around, gleefully smiling.

_“If that’s the case, then we’re going swimming TOMORROW! I’ll get dad to clean the swimming trunks!”_

A sudden click made both boys yelp. The tank shook ever so slightly, and the water swiftly began draining. Lucas felt his stomach drop, his face get pale. He pressed himself to the side of the tank, shouting to Claus through their telepathic connection.

_“Claus what’s happening?! Why is the tank draining?! Wh-“_

_“Lucas. Chill. The water has to drain to let us out. There’s no opening above us, and the only way out is through the door we came in. Just relax and try to get your feet on the floor before you fall.”_

Lucas carefully sank to the floor of the tank, quietly chanting an old saying to himself to calm down. The rush of cold air quickly washed away all of the panicked thoughts in the blondes head, replacing them with the sole thought of chilly, cold sensations. The blonde glanced over to see his brother shivering, the cold, metallic parts of his body providing no warmth whatsoever. A loud click followed by a puff of steam let the twins know the door was open. They both rushed out and clung to each other for warmth, the icy air of the room doing little to help. A Pigmask draped a large towel over the two, tying a little bow at the front. The towel was as big as a large blanket, and dragged on the floor a bit. The twins pulled the towel around themselves, feeling the warmth of their own body heat and towel slowly take away all the thoughts of how cold they both were. A Pigmask gestured to the door, catching their attention.

“Alright, now that the data collection is complete, we can get you two fitted. Follow me please.”

The twins took synchronized steps, walking in perfect unison as they were led down the hall and into a room not far from the one they were just in. Inside was a much larger space than first expected. Along every wall were closets, each holding Pigmask uniforms of all kinds. The twins were led to the end of the room and to a closet adjacent to the door at that end.

“You two will share this closet. You’re both about the same size, spare for Commander C being just a tad bit taller than Commander L, so I think you’d both fit into the same uniform.”

The Pigmask opened the closet and handed Lucas and Claus a jacket. It was nearly identical to the one Claus kept at home, except it had a small, cutesy pig face on one arm, and had a symbol of the Masked Mans helmet on the other. Claus put his on and zipped it up, making sure he could get his wings out of it. Lucas watched, carefully sliding the jacket onto his body. It was surprisingly warm, much warmer than he thought it’d be. It looked heavy and stiff, but was quite lightweight and breathable. It almost felt like Lucas was wearing one of Kumatoras hoodies. He took note of the fact that it was slightly larger on him than it was on Claus, the sleeves going over his hands when he put his arms at his sides.

“So, Lucas, you like ‘em? I can have them tailor it more towards you if you want.  I’m planning on getting mine a little tailored anyway. ”

Lucas nodded, pulling the sleeves back a bit so he could see his hands.

“Yeah, it’s just kinda big on me. It’s a lot better than what I first expected.”

“Lemme guess, you thought they were gonna hand us a huge leather jacket or something?”

“...yeah.”

Claus snickered, grabbing a slip of paper out of the front pocket and taking a pen off the top of the closet shelf.

“Here, there’s a slip of paper in the front pocket. You can write what you want fixed on there and the Pigmasks will tailor the jacket for you.”

Claus handed Lucas a pen and tapped the pocket the paper was in, then started jotting down notes about the jacket. Lucas carefully grabbed the slip of paper out of his pocket and opened it up. The top read ‘tailoring and repair’. Slightly underneath was a simple message of ‘please write down any small changes you’d like to be made on this slip. We Pigmasks will do all we can to tailor it to your liking’. Lucas shrugged and carefully wrote down a few changes:

-add some padding to the inside (kinda like my brothers)

-fluffier edges

-softer fabric (it’s kinda itchy...)

-patches!! (Like on jean jackets!)

-is it possible to make the Masked Man helmets different for me and my brother? (One has blonde hair and the other has ginger hair, each going to the respective twin)

-shorten the sleeves

-tiny bit tighter (I’m smaller than my brother and it’s a little big on me)

Lucas added a little thank you note at the bottom before folding the paper back up and putting it back in the pocket. Claus was still adding notes, so many that half the page had been filled already. Despite the chicken scratch that was his brother’s handwriting, Lucas could still make out a few of the notes.

_Extra heating pads in right sleeve, soften fluff on edges, add steel padding to chest, add a couple patches... does that say ‘change the zipper so it stops getting stuck’? Jeez, guess he’s got problems with that..._

Claus clicked the pen against his arm, folding the slip up and putting it back in the pocket, setting the pen down. He took the jacket off and handed it back to the Pigmask. Lucas hastily did the same, standing up and nervously watching as the jackets were put away.

“One final thing before you two can go explore: I need to give Commander C the official mark o-“

“Hold on. No. He’s NOT getting that mark. If he wants the mark, I’ll do it myself, but he is not obligated to have it.”

Claus stepped in front of his brother upon interjecting, his gaze narrowing at the Pigmask. Lucas was clueless to why Claus was so against the idea of marking when it suddenly hit him.

_Wait... by marking, they mean a tattoo, don’t they! If Claus is against that, then there’s gotta be a painful reason to it...._

“You’re correct Lucas. It is a tattoo, and it’s not a small one either. I have it, and it spans over half my back. No to mention, getting it is extremely painful, or at least it was in my case. I can replicate it with my arm cannon through painless lasers. Doing it here is gonna be like getting a real one.”

Lucas cringed at the thought. He’d never seen this tattoo Claus spoke of, but he was sure it wasn’t pretty. Judging by the majority of the scars Claus had, it was probably red and puffy, and might even look burnt. Lucas shook his head to clear the thought.

“I think I’ll pass, thanks for the offer though.”

The Pigmask nodded, saluting the two commanders.

“If you say so. I’ll excuse myself and let you two roam. If anything worrying happens, notify us immediately.”

The Pigmask turned and left, leaving the twins to their own devices. Lucas slumped over, breathing a sigh of relief.

“Hey Claus?”

“What’s up?”

“Do you really think I’m cut out for this? I mean, I’ve never done stuff like this before... Plus, everyone seems so clingy. I don’t think I’m made for this stuff...”

Claus shook his head, grabbing his brothers hands and leading him out the door and down a long, hidden hallway.

“Let me tell you something you probably won’t believe: I have no idea what I’m doing. The both of us are in the same hole. Neither of us have any idea what’s going on.”

“But that’s not true! You’ve been doing this for over 3 years!”

“It’s barely been 3, and to clarify, I only started this less than a few weeks ago. I was under complete and total brainwashing, which meant I never cognitively thought. Everything was parroted to me from Porky, which meant I never thought about what I was doing. This basically meant I had no memory of those actions, and that means I have no idea what I’m doing. We’re both newbies to this, and the only advantage I’ve got is I know 90% of the layout here. Otherwise, we’re in the same boat.”

Lucas straightened up, his bright blue eyes sparkling.

“Really?”

“Really. Now, c’mon! I wanna show you around!”

Claus took his brothers hand and rushed down the hallway, already explaining some of the lab’s many functions.

~~~{+}~~~

The twins flopped onto the bed in their room, sighing. It had been a long day of Claus rushing around the hallways, showing Lucas everything he could recognize, and Lucas struggling to process everything he was seeing. The two were exhausted, and home was fairly far. They couldn’t make the walk back without falling asleep halfway through, and getting to Osohe Castle would be even more difficult, so the two agreed to stay the night. Claus had sent out a messenger dove to their father, notifying him that they’d be spending the night at the Chimera Lab due to how far it would be to make it home on foot. The two had already changed into pajamas and gotten all ready to sleep. One thing, however, had been bothering Claus. His mind spiraled into a mess of terrifying images, mainly of Lucas getting hurt at the hands of a hostile chimera. He couldn’t shake the images from his head. He curled up onto his side, hugging Lucas, who had already dozed off.

_Why am I so worried about all this...? He’s going to be fine. Just... clear all this crap from your mind Claus, you’re going swimming tomorrow. That’s what’s important. He’s not even gonna be in the lab in the first place!_

Claus silently groaned as he tried to push the thought of his twin getting hurt from his head. He felt Lucas shift underneath him, turning his head a bit to look at the ginger twin.

“Could you keep your mental monologue down...? It’s kinda loud...”

Claus jumped a bit at the sudden break in silence. He forgot about the telepathic connection him and his brother shared. He gave a sheepish smile, nestling his face in his twins hair.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to... I’m just, thinking too hard about stuff.”

Lucas curled into his brothers embrace, tugging the covers over his shoulders.

“Well, if you’re gonna think about something *yawn*, think about a cool dream you wanna have. That always helps me sleep...”

Lucas closed his eyes again and snuggled up, faintly sighing. Claus yawned, his mind thinking about an old dream he had when he was brainwashed. It was the type of dream one could forget and remember at random, and never quite kept all the details of. Yet, it was enough to knock him into slumber. He closed his eyes and slipped away into blissful dreams, faintly aware of the crickets chirping outside the window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading chapter 7! I’ll start chapter 8 tomorrow morning! Have a great night everyone!


	8. An Ocean So Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claus and Lucas go for a swim by Tanetane Island and gain a new power.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s funny because I literally got an ask like 2 days ago about if Claus can get wet or not cuz mechanical parts and this chapter is about Claus going swimming.
> 
> Anyways, here’s chapter 8!

Chimera of Light, a Mother 3 fanfic

Chapter 8: An Ocean So Blue

Early that morning, the twins had awoke to get prepared for their afternoon swim. Well, Lucas had been ready within 10 minutes of waking up, but Claus had to do much more. His circuits hadn’t been exposed to ocean water in 2 years, and he had to make sure everything was sealed. The two ate a quick breakfast, and bolted out the door, wearing nothing but their swimming trunks. The two had no plans of diving and walking across the ocean floor, since that ended badly for both, so Claus opted to fly across, or, at the very least, use his wings thrusters as propulsion in the water. Lucas agreed the wings were a good idea and got onto his twins back, making sure there was space for his wings.

“How exactly are we going to do this anyway? I feel like we’d be freezing if we tried to fly...”

Claus shrugged and unfurled his wings, feeling Lucas shift as the large metal structures emerged from his back.

“If that’s the case, I can swim. My wings are buoyant enough to support us both, and the thrusters can act as propulsion. It’ll be like riding a jet ski.”

“I have no idea what a jet ski is, Claus.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

Claus waded into the water, his wings flattening and sitting on the waters surface, creating gentle ripples as he slightly moved. He leaned forwards, the wings holding their position. A loud click followed by a high pitched wailing face Lucas a warning to get ready. The inside of the thrusters began to glow, the light becoming a fiery red as heat gushed out. A few more rhythmic clicks and the thrusters were ready to go.

“Ok, ready little bro?”

“Mhmm!”

“Ok, 3! 2! 1-“

Lucas braced himself.

“GOOO!!”

The thrusters shot Claus forwards, water kicking up around him. Lucas gripped his brothers shoulders as they were launched forwards, watching as the tiny island grew a tad bit closer. The ride went from smooth to bouncy very quickly. Claus’s wings adjusted to match the new speed he had reached, allowing him to bounce on the water a bit as he practically flew through the sea. Lucas tentatively put his fingers into the water, feeling the salty sea wash his skin at high speed. He put his hand back on Claus’s shoulder and turned his attention back to the island, which was much closer than when he last looked. Claus smirked and clicked his wings, getting a burst of speed that propelled him closer to the island. Lucas gripped his brother harder as he felt the misty breeze pick up into gusts of wind that whipped at his face. Claus made a sharp turn to the right, his right wing submerging into the sea for a brief moment before re-emerging and balancing him out. A small whirlpool formed behind them, turning into a massive, suctioning spiral of seawater. Claus groaned and switched gears, the wing thrusters giving off a white hot flame as they were pushed to maximum power. The force was just enough to get the two of them away from the powerful suction, sending them straight back towards the island. From there it took only a few minutes to reach the shore. Claus slowed the thrusters and let the water push himself onto land like a beached whale. Lucas hopped off and helped his brother off, brushing the caked on sand off as best he could.

“What was that whirlpool all about? I’ve never seen something like that in the few times I’ve flown around here.”

Lucas sighed, peeling a small layer of sand off his brother.

“That was probably from Master Eddy. He lives in the ocean depths and totally clobbered me and my friends when we tried to get here. The whirlpool nearly killed us and left us for dead. We had no items, no PSI, and were on deaths doorstep.”

Claus cringed, a faint glimpse of his brother, Kumatora, Duster, and Boney, all beaten and exhausted from the fight, flashed in his mind. He slowly shook his head, flapping his wings to temporarily dry them.

“That sounds horrible. If that creep tries anything while we’re down there, I’ll annihilate him.”

Lucas smiled and finished brushing the layers of sand off his brother, pulling him into a hug.

“Ok, just don’t go ballistic on him. I can’t have my one and only brother getting hurt.”

Claus laughed and hoisted his brother onto his shoulder, wading back into the water.

“Well, only one thing left to do.  I’ve been waiting for this day... ”

Claus smirked and adjusted his grip on Lucas, quietly chuckling under his breath. Lucas knew what was coming, he’d had it happen before.

“So, little bro, how far do you think I can launch you? A couple feet? Maybe so far I gotta go get you?”

“Claus, don’t you dare-“

“Hmm, I think I can launch you... over to that little reef over there.”

Claus readied himself, digging his heels into the sand.

“CLAUS DON’T DO IT!”

“ _One_ _..._ ”

“CLAUS, NO!”

“ _Two_ _..._ ”

“ **C L A U S!** ”

“ **_THREE_ ** **_!_** ”

Claus tossed his brother into the air and straight into the sea, watching as the blonde flailed in the air before splashing into the salty water. He laughed as Lucas emerged from the water, his hair messily draped over his face, looking positively fuming. Claus took one look at his angered brother and broke into hysterics, falling onto his back, his wings smacking against the sand. Lucas stormed over and lifted his brother by the ankles, weakly launching him into the shallow water, then dragging him out into the deep end.

“I’m gonna drown you.”

Claus bit back another round of laughter as his brother coldly spat the threat at him. Lucas was only kidding, both of them knew this, but it was funny to see how Lucas could go from panicking to a red-faced angry puppy in seconds. Lucas dove underwater and yanked his brother down by the ankles without warning, sticking his tongue out once Claus realized Lucas had pulled him in. Claus rolled his eyes and grabbed Lucas, flapping his wings to push them to the surface.

_At least these wings are waterproof. They work well for swimming, better than I thought they would, at least._

The two sighed in relief as they reached the surface, Claus holding onto Lucas like he was a toddler to keep them both afloat. Claus, looked around for a good spot to dive, and slowly swam towards it, pushing Lucas up so he was propped up on his shoulder. Claus tapped the palm of his hand and the discs that unfolded into helmets popped out. Pinching the discs, they unfolded into large helmets that fit over Lucas and Claus’s heads.

“Here, put your helmet on for me.”

Lucas hesitantly pulled his helmet on, which was nearly identical to his twins, the only difference being a small heart with a baby Drago on it on the inside of Lucas’s helmet.

“Why do I have to wear this thing? I thought we were going swimming!”

Claus nodded, fitting the cord on his arm through the hole in his helmet and back into the hole in his neck.

“Because, I’m not gonna have you get oxygen every 5 minutes with those weird machines Porky built. I don’t know why they look like that, but I see no point in making you do that again.”

He pressed the side of his brothers helmet, making a visor appear over his eyes, and a small breathing mask form over the mouth. The helmet extended and sealed shut, creating a sort of futuristic diving helmet. Claus pressed the side of his own and watched it transform into the same diving helmet, chuckling as Lucas fumbled with the mask to make sure it was over his face.

“Uh, what did you do?”

“I added a function that makes the helmets alter shape and match that of a diving helmet. The tiny openings on the sides take in water, filter it, and turn it into oxygen. The visor acts as goggles, and the breathing mask lets you take in the oxygen the helmet made. In short, you can do stuff underwater.”

Lucas’s eyes lit up, sparkling like starlight.

“Does this thing have a fish tail, too?!”

Claus sighed and made another disc appear out of his arm, pinching it, and pressing it against his brothers stomach. The disc quickly unfolded into a sort of tail for for a merman. It shimmered in the light, creating a rainbow ripple of scales, ending in a silky tail fin. Claus swore he’d never heard Lucas squeal so loudly in his life. The blonde twin pulled his brother into an aggressive hug, the newly formed tail splashing in the water.

“OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODTHANKYOUSOMUCH! ”

Claus let out a strangled laugh, prying his brothers arms off of him. He had fond memories of Lucas pretending he was a merman, gracefully swimming underwater. Granted, the best ‘tail’ the two could make was out of seaweed that washed up on the shore, and was usually just tightly tied around Lucas’s legs in a messy fashion. Lucas would heave himself onto nearby rocks jutting out of the water and yell for Claus to be a drowning prince he could save, just like in the books. He found himself blushing a bit at the cute memories, smiling a bit as Lucas squished him in a watery embrace.

“Hey, how about we go swim already? I’m tired of waiting!”

Lucas nodded and wiggled out of Claus’s grip, diving into the ocean. Claus folded up his wings and instantly sunk down into the water. Lucas swam around him, taking him by the hand and diving deeper into the reef. Claus scanned the ocean floor, taking note of the critters and creatures that swam and crawled through the vast expanse of coral and seaweed. Eels poked out of rocks, crabs skittered along the sand, and little schools of fish swam around the forests of coral. Lucas pulled his brother deeper into the reef, getting close enough to touch the animals within. Claus reached a hand out, a small piece of bait between his fingers. Fish flocked to his hand, nibbling at the bait. Lucas watched in awe as his twin managed to get an entire school of fish to flock to his hand. The fish were a periwinkle blue and glistened under the wavering sunlight flickering through the water. As the school of fish finished the bait, they returned to a little ball and hurriedly swam away, becoming just a flickering speck of light in the distance.

“Whoooaaaa! How’d you get all those fish?!”

Claus snickered and grabbed a small handful of bait out of his swim trunks pocket, then pressed it to his brothers chest.. Fish flocked to him like moths to flame, nibbling on the bait that had been haphazardly smushed on his body.

“I got all those fish with that bait on your chest. I made sure to grab some before we left.”

Lucas squeaked as the fish daintily nibbled away, swatting at them as he burst into a fit of bubbly giggles. He squirmed and swam behind Claus, who didn’t provide any protection from the hungry fish. The school of aquatic swimmers darted after the blonde twin, who squealed and swam to the other side of Claus, pressing his body up against the ginger twins.

“Claus help me!! They’re trying to eat me!!!”

Claus held back a snort as Lucas clung to him, his merman tail kicking up bubbles as it swished violently.

“They’re not trying to eat you, they just want the bait, so let ‘em have it!”

Claus flipped Lucas around and held his arms back, exposing him to the fish, which hungrily nibbled at the exposed bait. Lucas squeaked and squealed, fighting against the ginger twins grasp.

“Let me gohohohoho!!!”

Claus smirked and locked his legs around the tail Lucas had, immobilizing the blonde.

“Not a chance, Lemon Drops!”

He tightened his grip, watching the fish slowly leave Lucas’s body alone. The blonde stopped struggling and relaxed in his older twins hold.

“You’re... a jerk...”

Claus laughed and released Lucas, glancing at the schools of fish that swam past.

“How rude!”

Claus scoffed and dramatically turned around, which was harder than expected. His wings awkwardly flapped to slowly turn him around, which just resulted in him slowly spinning in a circle. Lucas giggled and swam over, taking his brothers hand.

“I wanna show you something I found!”

He dragged him forwards and into a small hole he found in the reef. It was large enough to fit the both of them side by side, but was narrow, only allowing Lucas to pull himself along with his hand. The two slowly traversed deeper and deeper until they had reached an opening that lead into a pitch black cavern. Lucas let go of Claus’s hand, but stayed close by as to not lose him in the darkness. He pressed his index and middle fingers together, tiny green circles flickering in the darkness. Lucas closed his eyes and the green circles grew larger and larger, forming into one big, sparking mass. Lucas opened his eyes, which were glowing a faint turquoise, staring at the mass of light.

“PK Flash!”

Lucas shifted and pointed his fingers upwards, the mass of light following and swelling. Suddenly, the mass burst into thousands of tiny green orbs of light that shattered across the room, illuminating it with a faintly green tinted white glow. Claus noticed that the room was no longer a dark cavern, but rather, a gemstone filled cavern of coral and crystals. The light from PK Flash illuminates the crystals and gemstones with such a strong glow that the room almost looked like a prism, rainbow shades of gemstones fractured across the walls. In the center of the cavern, a single rock with floating gems sat untouched. The gems looked like they had been frozen in time, each floating in place, despite the fact Lucas had begun to swim around them. Claus slowly made his way to the gems, mesmerized by the glittering sheen.

“H-how did you find something like this?”

Lucas smiled, locking his hands behind his back and lightly swishing his tail.

“We spotted it on Tanetane Island after we started hallucinating. We made our way to the coast by accident and found this circle in the water that just sparkled with rainbow colors. We all thought we were just hallucinating like we had been for the past hour or so, but Boney told me that he saw it too, and he didn’t eat any of the mushrooms. I went to check it out after we found the Magypsy, and I found this place. Of course, I couldn’t stay for very long, so I thought I’d go and show you now that I can.”

Claus softly touched the crystal, feeling the energy radiating off the gleaming rock. It was soothing, like a warm blanket wrapped around his hand. A low hum began to echo in his mind, almost like a melody. Lucas swam over and placed a hand on the crystal, right next to Claus. The same him echoed into his mind, a low and faint melody. The melody became a harmonic song, and PSI began to spark from their fingertips. A lustrous, twinkling blue in the shape of heptagons fizzled into bubbles before their eyes. The echoing song turned into the crashing of waves and the winds by the sea.

_If this is a melody of the sea, and I’m sensing such strong PSI energy, then that must mean_...

“Lucas, you’ve got a better grip on PSI than I do. Is there a name for this one?”

Lucas nodded, taking his hand off the crystal.

“Yep. I believe it’s PK Whirlpool a.”

Claus shrugged and swam over to one of the crystals on the wall, dealing a swift punch to the edge, causing the crystal to crack and shatter into large chunks.

“Claus?! What are you doing?!”

“I’m taking some of these back. I can make use of them, or use them for decoration, or something...”

Claus shoved them into the pockets on his swimming trunks, aligning them so they wouldn’t stab him in the thigh when he swam. They pieces clinked against each other as he moved, picking up anything else he found useful or interesting. These things included more crystal shards, small bits of coral, a sample of the rock on the walls, oddly shaped pieces of rock he found on the ground, and a fragment from the center crystal. Once he’d filled his pockets, he began to paddle back to the hole, only to get grabbed by Lucas and hastily pulled alongside. Before they knew it, they were out of the cavern and back in the reef, Lucas still pulling Claus alongside him. Claus felt like he was an old teddy bear being lugged around by a 3 year old. Lucas just kept dragging him along with no warning whatsoever, swimming deeper into the reef, so deep that Claus had no idea where they were anymore.

_Where in the gods is he taking me now? It’d better not be in some creepy dark canyon... I have had far too many nightmares to-_

“Hey, Claus! I saw something cool in this canyon! Let’s go explore!!”

_Dammit...._

Claus was yanked downwards and into the depths of the canyon. It was just like a nightmare, but with a sugar coated film over it, as Lucas’s happy humming and peppy attitude made the situation a little less frightening. This time, Lucas didn’t even bother to use PK Flash. He seemed to know the way by memory, easily turning and twisting through sharp crevasses and narrow passageways. Claus held on for dear life, the only light in the pitch black area being his mechanical eye, which gave off a pale red glow. They hit the bottom and a PK Flash was used, lighting up the canyon. Claus sighed in relief, glad he wasn’t lost in darkness, but his relief was short lived. Staring him dead in the face was a massive sea serpent. Gargantuan fangs glittered and shone in the glow from PK Flash, sharp and pointed. Beady, shiny green eyes pierced into him. A huge, scale-plated body twisted along the walls around him, twitching and shifting. Claus froze, his circuits halting on instant. Fear jolted through him, his eyes widening as the sea serpent turned to face him, the green eyes of the beast narrowing as they caught sight of him.

“Lucas! What in the world is that thing?!”

Claus kept his voice to a sharp whisper, barely tilting to catch sight of his brother, who seemed fearless in the face of the beast. Lucas gleefully swam up to the serpent, gently petting its snout.

“She’s a sea serpent! I’ve nicknamed her Nala! She’s really sweet!”

Claus watched the serpent lean forwards, it’s nose inches away from his face. The serpent huffed, bubbles spraying into Claus’s face. Claus couldn’t move. He was terrified. Normally, big creatures like this didn’t scare him. He wasn’t scared of the Ultimate Chimera, after all, so why should he be afraid of this? His instincts told him to be strong for Lucas, but his mind told him to cower in fear. The serpent opened its maw, revealing the glistening rows of dagger sized teeth. Claus felt lightheaded, adrenaline coursing through his veins and wires. Lucas put a hand on his terrified twins shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry! She’s harmless, I promise!”

Claus felt himself being tugged to the side, pulled up and onto the back of the serpent. Lucas tapped the side of his tail and it folded away, turning back into a tiny disc, and handed it back to Claus.

“Here. You should probably take this back. I won’t need it for this.”

Claus nervously pressed it back into his palm, taking ahold of Lucas, who grabbed onto the mane of the serpent. The canyon rumbled and shook, and the serpent swam out, it’s long, winding body twisting around rocks and holes. In moments, they had emerged from the water, sitting high above the surface.

“WHOOOAA!! WE’RE REally high up oh god...”

Claus shrunk down and clung to Lucas. He was fine with heights, he could fly after all, but the idea of being this high with the possibility of slipping off and falling to a watery grave was more than enough to scare him. Lucas laughed and steered the beast over towards home, and the serpent lowered itself beginning its slow swim back to Tazmily.

~~~{+}~~~

After a long ride, the two had hopped off, wished the serpent a safe trip home, and headed back inside. They found Flint waiting for them, holding their clothes that they had haphazardly thrown off that morning.

“DAD!!”

The twins gleefully shouted as they ran to their father, hugging him. Flint chuckled and lifted them up, carrying the two to their bed. He set them down and handed them their clothes they had tossed on the floor that morning.

“Here, get changed and we can chat a bit. I just got back from some errands, and I think you two’ll like what I found.”

The twins hastily threw off their swimming trunks and changed into their everyday clothing, not caring about the fact their hair was soaking wet and dripping down their backs. Claus took out all the samples he had collected and set them on the table, organizing them meticulously. Flint dumped out a bag of random items, most of which were little trinkets. The three of them spent a few minutes explaining what everything was before Claus decided to bolt. Flint just sighed, shaking his head.

“Lucas, why don’t you make sure he’s not going to get himself into any trouble?”

Lucas nodded and ran outside, finding Claus standing on the hillside, staring out at the ocean.

“Hey! What’s up? Why’d you leave all of a sudden?”

Claus turned to look at his brother, a cheeky grin on his face.

“Well, the ocean looks really pretty at this time of day. I just wanted to look at it and enjoy the scenery.”

Lucas smiled and looked out at the vast sea, the sunlight glittering off of it. Claus pointed to a section of the ocean that began to shimmer, a faint rainbow ripple emerging along the surface.

“That’s why I came out here. That spot is nicknamed the Rainbow Ripple. At this exact time of day it shines like a prism in broad daylight. Some say there’s treasure buried down there, others say it’s just a phenomenon of nature.”

Lucas watched as the colors started to die down, disappearing back into the deep blue waters.

“Cool. Maybe when we go swimming again, we can figure out what’s down there!”

Claus nodded, smiling. He felt his fingers tingle with PSI, tiny blue sparks emanating from them.

“Heh, I think that we already found everything we could ever imagine down there. Heck, I think that even the treasure from a sunken ship couldn’t top what we found.”

“You’re right. Finding that PSI was pretty awesome.”

Lucas leaned to the side, his head on his twins shoulder. Claus did the same, smiling.

_I shouldn’t tell him about the plans I’ve got. Those’ll be a fun surprise when the time comes._

“Claus, what are you hiding from me?”

“Nothing! Nothing at all!”

_Stupid telepathic connections..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I’m sorry about how long this chapter took. As I said in the beginning notes of this chapter, I got an ask about Claus being able to get his mechanical parts wet or not. I had nothing planned for this, and spent nearly an entire day planning lore and backstory for how that shit works. The result? I didn’t write for 2 days. I’m lucky I got that thing done yesterday so I could finish this chapter.
> 
> As always, I’ll be starting the next chapter ASAP, so hopefully it’ll be out soon.
> 
> Until then!


	9. Mind of a Thief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas and Claus make the late night decision to become thieves. Absolute mess writing ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I had no idea what I was doing while writing this and went through probably 4 different plot lines, so this is a train wreck (or at least, that’s how I feel about it). Kumatora gets hella emotional, Duster is lonely and tired af, and the twins have enough energy to power a small generator. That’s the only way I can describe it.
> 
> Please enjoy.
> 
> EDIT: On another note, I’m amazed this has so many hits. I’ve well surpassed 200 and am on my way to nearly 300 hits. I never thought I’d come this far, and I wanted to say thank you. To everyone who read this, you have my thanks for putting time into reading the stuff I put out.

Chimera of Light, a Mother 3 fanfic

Chapter 9: Mind of a Thief

“So, what you’re saying, is that you want to learn the thief arts?”

The twins nodded, their eyes sparkling.

“And you came to me at 11:30, middle of the freaking night, to ask me this?”

The twins nodded again.

“Why didn’t you two ask me this earlier, y’know, so you _didn't_ have to sneak out to get here?”

The twins looked at each other and shrugged.

“We thought it’d be better to try this stuff at night, when thieves are most active!”

Duster groaned and put his head in his hands, amazed the twins had this much enthusiasm at this time of night.

“Lucas, Claus, it’s 11-freaking-30. I may be a thief, but I’m not like the ones you see in movies who pickpocket random passerby. Plus, I use those arts for battle, because I don’t have PSI. There’s no need for either of you to learn thief arts. You’re strong enough as it is.”

The twins pouted, lowering their heads. Duster sighed and walked back to his bed, grabbing a large mug off the nightstand.

“Fine, I’ll teach you. Go wake up Kumatora and wait for me in Osohe Castle.  _I need coffee first..._ ”

Lucas and Claus excitedly ran off towards Osohe Castle, quietly murmuring in joy. Duster quietly closed his door and started getting a large cup of coffee together, glancing out his window to make sure the twins had actually run to Osohe Castle and hadn’t waited nearby.

Meanwhile, the twins made a mad dash for the Castle, but were quickly halted by the fact that the drawbridge was up. Claus hastily opened his wings, grabbing Lucas by the waist and propelled them upwards, soaring above the wall that protected that castle and into the castle grounds. He daintily landed, gently setting Lucas down before letting himself touch the ground. He folded his wings back up, dashing alongside Lucas and into the castle. Inside, the ghosts were rushing around in excitement, floating over the twins heads in complete and utter joy. Lucas tugged Claus along, dragging him through the castle corridors as Claus took in the sight of the ghosts. Winding through the tight hallways, Lucas noticed the lack of hostile ghosts roaming through the corridors. Usually there’d be a rocking horse or two on the way to Kumatoras room, and the only way to spot it was to look in the mirrors on the wall. However, today, there seemed to be none. Another turn and they made it to Kumatoras door, which was plastered with stickers and artwork. He softly knocked, hearing a loud clatter from inside.

“WHO THE FUCK?!”

The twins flinched at the sudden vulgar language. Lucas quietly groaned and put an ear to the door.

“Kumatora. It’s me, Lucas. Claus is here as well.”

The princess suddenly opened the door, staring at the twins. She looked drastically different from her normal appearance. She wore a pale pink t-shirt and bright green shorts. Her hair was neatly pulled back into a tiny ponytail with a red hair-tie. She wasn’t wearing her gloves or her knee-high red boots, but was instead wearing little pink bunny slippers. The twins mentally decided to not make a point to talk about Kumatoras drastically different appearance.

“The hell are you two doing here this late?! First off, how’s you two even get here? Didn’t Flint give you both curfew or somethin’ like that? Second, why are you two here in the first place?! It’s almost midnight!!”

Claus butted in before Lucas could speak, leaning in front of his brother.

“We both wanted to learn the thief arts, and I suggested we try to learn them at night, when we can get a feel for the environment around us. Plus, Duster’s kinda nocturnal, and we thought it’d be a better idea.”

“It was _your_ idea , ginger snap, not mine.”

“But you agreed to it.”

“Whatever. Anyways, Duster told us to get you and wait until he gets here.”

Kumatora shrugged and opened the door wider, letting the two in.

“Fine, I’ll know when he gets here. I can sense him through PSI, so I’ll know. For now, you two have been given the lucky permission of entering my room.”

As the two walked in, they noticed the odd cleanliness of the room. Kumatora was known to be messy, and this was quite the sight. Her room was neatly organized, art supplies stack up by type along the walls, as well as canvases, sketchbooks, and little boxes of clay. A multitude of works hung along the walls and ceiling, each being much more detailed than the last. The twins took note of how gruesome and oddly horrific some of them were, silently glancing at each other when they both caught sight of the same image. Little clay figurines and models dotted the surfaces of the room, most of them being fairly intricate. A few canvases sat above Kumatoras bed, carefully hung as to prevent them from slipping off and onto her if bumped. Her bed was probably the least clean thing, as the covers were awkwardly set on it and the pillows looked like something from an old furniture store. Even the mattress was old looking. Kumatora caught the two eyeing the state of her bed and rolled her eyes, shoving her hands into her short pockets.

“Yeah, my bed looks like ass, I know. It’s old, and it was the best one I could find in this dump of a castle. It was also the only one that didn’t have some kind of fungus or mold growing on it.”

The twins pushed the thought of a moldy bed out of their mind, amazed one of them hadn’t become nauseous. Claus noticed a few odd figurines and drawings along the wall. They were reminiscent of Tanetane Island, but with a grim and horrific twist to them. He’d never seen anything like it.

“Uh, hey Kuma? What’s up with these over here?”

Kumatora walked over, her expression changing to something more serious. Her eyes were almost distant as she stared at the works of art.

“Those? They were pictures I drew after we dealt with hallucinations on Tanetane Island. We were beaten up, and our only way out was to take some funky mushrooms that made us all see our worst nightmares and fears. I tried to capture everything I saw with the little amount of strength I had left, and these were the results.”

She paused, looking down at Claus, who seemed more confused than concerned.

“It’s something you wouldn’t get. You didn’t eat any of the mushrooms, so it’d be difficult to grasp the idea of this stuff.”

Claus nodded, a sudden prickle of energy shooting up his spine as something seemed to enter the castle. Kumatora turned to the door, her eyes narrowing. She sighed, the little smirk she wore returning to her face as she made her way to the door.

“Looks like Dusters here.”

The three headed out the door and back into the hallway, running downstairs to meet up with Duster. They found him waiting patiently against a support beam, weaving wall staples together.

“Duster!!”

The twins eagerly leapt into a sudden hug, nearly toppling him over. He managed to right himself, sighing as he embraced the two.

“Hello again. I assume you two are ready to learn the art of thievery?”

The two nodded, their eyes sparkling brightly.

“Alright. We’ll start simple: if you want to be a thief, you need to move fast. You two will run down that hallway with me chasing you. If you can make it to the other side without getting pinned by wall staples, then you’re fast enough.”

Claus hurriedly pulled Lucas over to the nearby hallway, preparing himself. Circuits whirred and clicked, gears began to speed up, and the electricity coursing through him moved faster and faster. He tried to picture Porky behind him, ready to strike at any moment. Kumatora gave a tiny blast of PK Thunder, the sound of which resembled the gunshot starting a race, and the chase was on. Claus bolted forwards, moving rhythmically and mechanically. He watched as wall staples whizzed past his head, sticking to the wall at the end of the hallway. He lost track of where everyone was, his mind locking to the plan of running as fast as he could to the end of the hallway. It didn’t matter if he got hit, as long as it didn’t pull him down. A wall staple slammed into his arm, nearly throwing him to the floor. He let out a yelp, stumbling to stay on his feet. The end was so close!

_Just a few more steps and-_

Just as he thought he was there, a sudden wall staple landed against his leg, pulling him to the floor. He watched Lucas zigzag past him and to the finish line, excitedly jumping around. Claus groaned, letting his forehead smack against the stone floor, the metal faceplate making a loud clang. Duster walked over and lifted Claus up, plucking the wall staple off the twins leg, carrying him to the finish line. Lucas laughed, watching as Claus sulked under Dusters arm.

“Aww, cheer up, Claus! I only won ‘cuz I got lucky! You would’ve beaten me by a mile if you hadn’t of gotten hit!”

Claus grumbled and squirmed out of Dusters grip, tumbling onto the floor. He shuffled to his feet, crossing his arms and pouting. Lucas cuddled his older twin, ruffling his hair.

“C’mon Claus! Cheer up already, or I’ll make you cheer up!”

Claus sulked harder, pushing his brother off of him and turning back to Duster, tapping his foot angrily.

“Okay, what’s next? I don’t wanna waste time.”

Duster chuckled and shifted his tool pouch, a familiar mischievous glint in his eye.

“Well you’re awfully antsy, aren’t you? The next challenge is agility. Similar rules as the last challenge, but I won’t be chasing you. Instead, you two will be trying to pin me down. If either or both of you manage to succeed in pinning me down, you win. Simple enough, right?”

The twins nodded, giving each other knowing glances. Kumatora sat back against the wall, giving a countdown before sounding the familiar crack of PK Thunder. The twins didn’t expect Duster to move so quickly. He zipped past Lucas, snagging Claus and pinning him to the floor with little effort. Claus struggled against the tight hold, attempting to free his right arm. His left arm was too weak to even struggle with, but his right arm had enough strength to toss Duster off in a heartbeat. Unluckily for him, Duster has pinned the ginger twins right arm firmly to the floor, leaving it immobile. Duster snickered, quietly pulling out one of the tools from his pouch.

“Oh, by the way, if I manage to hold _either_ of you down for more than 5 minutes,  _you lose._ ”

Lucas dashed towards Duster, knocking into him, trying to tug him down. Duster held Lucas off with one hand, using the other to keep the older twin down. In his hand was the famed tickle stick, in other words, the twins worst nightmare. Duster had the keen ability to spot weaknesses at a glance, which came in handy during use of the thief tools. A swift tilt of the wrist and Claus was in high-pitched laughter, tears streaking down his face as he pounded the ground with his free hand. Lucas tugged harder, somehow prying Duster off his twin and to the floor. Claus fought to catch his breath, getting up and launching onto Duster. The two disarmed the thief, locking his arms to the floor. Kumatora watched in awe as the twins managed to pin the 6’2” adult to the floor, somehow holding his arms down, despite the visible struggle being made. The two forced all their weight onto Duster in hopes it’d hold him there, and surprisingly, it did.

“Alright Duster! We’ve got you held down! Admit defeat!!”

Duster laughed, rolling his eyes. He shifted a bit under the twins weight.

“Fine, fine, you two got me.”

The twins immediately released him, giving each other a high five. Duster sat up, rubbing his back. He watched the twins proudly dance around the room, noticing Kumatora making her way towards him.

“So, what’s up with that? There’s no way those two could’ve held you down. You’re strong enough to lift me off the ground without breaking a sweat!”

Her tone was low, as to make sure only Duster could hear her. Duster smiled and shook his head.

“Of course they can’t. I gave them this one, since Claus seemed a bit discouraged after losing the last one. But, I will admit, they did have me stuck for just a moment. They’re stronger than I first expected.”

Kumatora held back a snort. She covered her mouth with her hand, hiding her laughter. A sudden tug on Dusters shirt got his attention, making him turn to see the twins confidently smirking at him.

“What’s next? We’re ready for anything you throw at us!”

Duster tapped his chin, his mischievous smirk returning.

“Hmm, well, how about one final test? A face off against me, the best of the thieves? If you win, I’ll... I’ll let you borrow my tools for a day. Deal?”

The twins practically screamed yes. Duster adjusted his tool pouch, stepping back a bit as the twins prepared themselves, PSI crackling at this fingertips. Kumatora glanced at the two, backing against the wall.

“Alright you two, I want a good, clean fight! No cheats or rotten tricks, got it?”

The three nodded.

“Ok then! On the count of three! One! Two! Three!”

She paused, watching as the antsy opponents eagerly inched forwards.

“GO!”

Immediately, the twins lunged at Duster, coordinating their movements to try and corner him. He slipped away from them, darting behind Lucas and practically tossing him aside. Claus shifted andtried to slide underneath Duster to catch Lucas, and wound up getting tripped up, sending him toppling to the ground.

“HEY! Kuma said no dirty tricks!”

Duster laughed, whipping out a handful of wall staples and lobbing them at Lucas.

“Who said that was a dirty trick? I merely tripped him. That’s just a tactical move.”

Lucas yelped as he ducked, wall staples zipping past him. He rushed at Duster, and was hit with a lone wall staple, pinning him to the nearby wall. A sudden rush of misty wind caught his attention, whipping around to see Claus firing up PSI. Misty wind whipped around the ginger twin, bubbles forming around his fingertips in swirling spirals. The wind whipped harder, the mist turning to water as it spun faster and faster. Claus’s eyes shone with a silvery blue tint, psychic energy trailing out of the light from his eyes.

“PK Whirlpool!!”

A sudden burst of water shot at Duster, enveloping him in a swirling, raging whirlpool. Water battered at the thief while Claus dashed right through the storming pool, assisting his brother. Claus glanced back as he pulled the wall staples off his twin, making sure the whirlpool would last long enough to prepare the next attack. The whirlpool began to slow, the waters calming down for a brief moment before slashing at the thief one final time, bursting into a shower of mist and bubbles. Duster, soaked and a little beaten, turned to face the twins, practically glaring daggers into them.

“So, you want to play that sort of game, do you? You two must be pretty bold to try that.”

Duster swiftly dashed at the twins, taking upon a speed unseen by the twins until now. Dusters limp usually made running a hassle, but at this speed, the twins couldn’t see his limp posing as a problem. The twins panicked, realizing Duster was closing in fast, and made the move to split up, dashing in opposite directions. Duster tossed a smoke bomb down, watching as the twins hastily tried to cover their eyes to prevent the smoke from getting in. He dashed behind Claus, giving him a gentle tap on the shoulder. The ginger twin whipped around to find a shiny golden pendulum gingerly swinging in front of his eyes. Claus felt his eyelids grow heavy as soon as his gaze locked to the shiny pendulum, his body staggering. Within moments, he slipped into sleep, collapsing into Dusters arms. Duster snickered, setting the slumbering ginger down before dashing at Lucas. 

_One twin down, one to go._

The blonde twin, who was blinded by tears, aimlessly launched shots of PK Love haphazardly at the general area of Duster, nearly all of which missed, spare for a few that grazed his arms. He slipped past the haphazard blasts of PK Love and behind the blonde, pulling out the hypno-pendulum once more. He tapped Lucas on the shoulder, quickly shifting behind him as Lucas whipped around, opening his teary eyes to see nothing but smoke and watery surroundings. Another tap made him whip around again, this time to find the hypno-pendulum right in front of him. Lucas watched it sway before his eyes, lulling him into sleep. It took mere seconds for the boy to slump over, gently falling into Dusters arms, lost in sleep. Instead of laying him down, Duster carefully picked him up, laying the twin against his shoulder as he moved to grab the remaining twin. The smoke grew thin, dissipating into the air, letting Kumatora see the results of the fight.

“Uh... why are both of them asleep?”

Duster glanced over at her, shaking his head.

“Because it’s half past midnight and these two need sleep. I planned to have this happen when I first mentioned the battle.”

Kumatora pouted, sticking her hands into her pockets and leaning up against the wall.

“Man, I really wanted to see you guys dish it out on each other! They seemed energetic enough, so why’d they need the sleep in the first place?!”

Duster gently lifted up Claus, resting him against his shoulder as he carefully put the hypno-pendulum back in his tool pouch, sighing.

“Kuma, they’re thirteen! You and I both live alone and are old enough to decide if staying up for a whole night is a good idea or not! The twins are young, and need more rest than you’d think. Plus, they snuck out to come and ask me about this. Flint would have their heads if they came back home at this hour, so they’re staying here to sleep.”

Kumatora groaned and rolled her eyes, pushing off the wall and walking down the hallway with Duster in tow. The twins barely shifted every now and again, mumbling things that sounded absolutely ridiculous to Duster. Kumatora occasionally listened in to the ridiculous ramblings of the slumbering twins, leaning back to pick up on a few odd words before going back to guiding. A long walk through countless halls finally took them to a room adjacent to Kumatoras. She opened the door and pushed some old books out of the way, silently kicking down specific objects as she walked through.

“There’s the bed. Put ‘em in it and let’s go.”

She was blunt, almost bitter, in tone. Duster set the twins in the bed, tucked them in, and stepped back, looking at Kumatora, who had moved to a corner. She was staring at an old picture frame, her gaze distant.

“What’s with the staring? Oh, I get it. You’re curious, aren’t you.”

Duster gave a small nod, limping over to her and taking a look at the faded image in the picture frame. It was old, sporting multiple faded spots where the picture had become impossible to see. In it, what appeared to be a very young Kumatora stood between 7 people, all of which looked like the Magypsies. He noticed the image was beginning to shake, and looked up to find Kumatora holding back tears. She shakily set the frame down, pulling her hood up to hide her face.

“Don’t look at me, god dammit...”

Duster couldn’t help but stare. He’d only ever seen Kumatora cry once before, and it was after everyone realized the world wasn’t destroyed. Even then, he wasn’t sure if she was genuinely crying or if it was just a rush of emotions from being alive. This time, however, it was clear that she was genuinely crying. He pulled Kumatora into a tight hug, resting his head on hers.

“It’s ok, you don’t have to hide this. I know it’s hard without them...”

Kumatora dug her nails into her palms, finally breaking down. Her sobs became muffled as she pressed her face into his wrinkled shirt, her nails leaving tiny crescent shaped indents in his back. Kumatoras legs gave out, slipping towards the floor in a mess of tears. Duster caught her and lifted her up, letting her continue to cry without interruption as she was hoisted up into his arms. He silently left the room, closing the door as quietly as possible as to not disturb the twins, and made his way into Kumatoras room, sitting down on her bed. He rocked her in his arms, trying his best to soothe the sobbing princess. He hadn’t ever seen her like this, and didn’t know how to comfort her. She’d never needed anything more than the occasional person to vent to, and never broke down like this before, so he found it difficult to decide how to handle it. Lucky for him, the emotional rollercoaster the princess went through ended quicker than he thought. Her sobs had diminished and were replaced with rhythmic, yet slightly shaky breaths. He looked down to find her curled up against his shoulder, fast asleep.

_I guess she was bound to fall asleep at some point..._

Duster carefully laid her down in her bed, tucking her in, and left the room, taking a seat in the hallway.

“Well, tonight was busy, wasn’t it?”

Nobody answered. He knew he was just talking to himself, as he always did. After Rope Snake left, he didn’t have anyone to talk to when his friends went to sleep. It was a little lonely, but he was used to it. He stared at the wall, relaxing against the cold stone. Sure, it wasn’t a bed, but it didn’t matter to him anymore. If he could rest on it, he could sleep on it.

“Funny, y’know? How those two just kinda... do whatever they want. They’re so much more enthusiastic together, I just don’t get it. Less than a few months ago, Lucas would barely smile, let alone get energetic like this! Maybe it’s just me and my old self, heh.”

He shook his head, pushing his musings away for the night. He laid his head back against the stone and closed his eyes.

_I’ll tell them that I planned that whole thing tomorrow... they’ll be unhappy, but they don’t need to be thieves, that’s my job..._

_None the less, those two maybe are cut out to be junior thieves, if it ever came to be necessary..._

_Maybe they are cut out to be little thieves after all..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aight I’ll get to work on chapter 10 ASAP.
> 
> Sorry about the wack updating schedule. I’ve got a busy week upon me right now and I’m unable to write as often (plus I was sorta run dry on this chapter, but I’ve got a plan for the next one).
> 
> I’ll be slowing down a LOT soon, as school starts up on the 19th, and I’ll have to work on my writing whenever possible, which might be once a week, if it comes to it. Hopefully, I will be able to keep a consistent schedule while I deal with schoolwork.
> 
> Until then, enjoy the rest of the summer!


	10. It’s Chimera Business

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas and Claus do work in the Chimera Laboratory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here we are, at chapter 10. I wanted to say thanks to everyone who’s read this thing so far. I started this little story as just a fun way to express an AU, and it’s turned into a genuine story, and I’m proud of that. I’ve got over 300 hits (which is fuckin amazing to me), 21 kudos, and a whole lot of joy. I hope that those who have read this story enjoy it and will be patient as I try to make more chapters. This thing has come so far, and I’m so happy. Once again, thank you.
> 
> Anyways, have fun reading chapter 10!

Chimera of Light, a Mother 3 fanfic

Chapter 10: It’s Chimera Business

_There’s so much to handle... I’ve got a meeting I’m supposed to deal with, I’ve got a checkup with Cherry in less than an hour, General Flyx needs help with the Chimeras below the lab, and then there’s the new arrivals upstairs that need to be examined for how harmless they may or may not be, not to mention that I might need to move a couple of those to the basement for containment if they’re too dangerous..._

Claus mindlessly walked the halls, tapping his fingers against his metallic palm. He had been dealing with more work than usual, since there had been a new group of biological chimeras returned to the lab. He’d been letting Lucas off of work for the past week to prevent him from getting overly stressed. Despite being prone to overheating under stress, Claus could handle it better than his brother could, which meant he was better off handling the majority of the work. His pace quickened as he whipped around the corner and into his room. He closed the door, threw off his helmet, jacket, and boots, and let himself fall onto his bed. He practically screamed into the mattress, feeling the light steam drifting off his circuits.

_Nearly overheating already? It hasn’t even been an hour yet...._

The sudden, soft knocking on his door nearly scared him to death. He leapt from the bed and threw on his jacket, holding his helmet to make it seem as though he’d just taken it off. He cleared his throat, calmed his nerves, and tried to make himself look a bit less on edge.

“Yes?”

“Claus? That you in there?”

“Who else would it be?”

“I don’t know! You’re not changing, right? I can come in?”

“Why would I be- Fine, you can come in.”

Lucas peppily opened the door and strutted in, a gleeful grin on his face. He was wearing his normal clothing, except his commander jacket was tied around his waist. Claus felt relief wash over him. He set his helmet down and took off his jacket, throwing it at the wall before collapsing back into bed. Lucas sat down next to him, laying back on the mattress.

“You seem on edge, what’s up?”

Claus merely groaned and rolled over, feeling the steam from his arm start to die down a bit.

“Stress. I’ve got a meeting, a checkup with Cherry, General Flyx needs basement chimera help, and don’t even get me started on the new arrivals upstairs!”

Lucas sighed and made small sparks of PSI crackle off his fingertips. He drew little shapes in the air, the PSI acting like a laser pen.

“Do you want my help? I don’t think it’d be too much trouble.”

Claus waved his hand dismissively. He pushed himself to a sitting position and fumbled with his arm for a moment, making sure to not burn himself on the steam.

“No. You don’t do well with stress and I’m not dealing with another damn panic attack from you. Go relax. You’ve got the whole week off, as I’ve stated at least 4 times today.”

Lucas pouted, crossing his arms childishly.

“C’mon, Claus! You’re overheating from all this! It’s not healthy! I’m going to help whether you like it or not.”

Claus nearly sent his hand through the wall. The action must’ve frightened his twin, as he heard a high-pitched yelp from him. Claus turned his head to see Lucas all tensed up, practically paralyzed with fear. The ginger twin sighed and lowered his fist from the tiny dent in the wall, praying it didn’t leave a scorch mark.

“Sorry... I’m just... sick of you trying to help me with things I can handle on my own. You don’t deserve to deal with the crap I deal with.”

Lucas hastily shook his head, hugging his brother.

“Don’t say that! I love dealing with the stuff you work with! Cherry is the sweetest, and the mechanical chimeras in the basement are, for the most part, are just big ‘ol babies! They just want attention, and I’m happy to give it to them!”

“But Lucas, I-“

“No buts! I’m your twin! I’m supposed to be helping you with you problems. That’s what siblings do, right?”

Claus hesitated, then nodded. He let his head rest against the blonde twins shoulder, trying to keep his faceplate off the blondes shoulder. Lucas let go and untied his jacket, putting it on and picking up Claus’s jacket.

“Here you go!”

Claus took his jacket and put it on, taking his helmet and carefully putting it on, making sure the metal wire connecting his arm to his neck wasn’t caught underneath the helmet. A tap on his palm, and the disc that became Lucas’s helmet popped out, unfolding into a helmet identical to Claus’s. He handed it off to Lucas and helped him put it on.

“At this rate, you’re not going to be a very good commander. You can’t even put your helmet on by yourself!”

Lucas pouted, his face turning red from embarrassment.

“I can put my helmet on by myself! I only let you do it ‘cuz you’re good at it...”

Claus laughed, patting Lucas on the head.

“As if, Lemon Drops. You just don’t know how to put it on, and aren’t willing to admit it.”

Lucas curled up, giving Claus a little angry glare as his helmet finally slid over his eyes. Lucas slipped his jacket on, zipping it up and snuggling up in the fluff. Claus smirked as he zipped his jacket up, lifting Lucas off his feet and over his shoulder, ignoring his pleas to be let down. He spun around, loosely keeping a hand on his twins torso to stop him from being unintentionally thrown off. After a few seconds of play, Lucas was lowered back to the ground, a little dazed from the spinning, and was promptly yanked forwards into the hallway. Claus led him down the hallway, passing multiple other rooms along the way. He darted into one room in particular, flicking the light switch up to turn the faint lights on. The room was filled with controls and small screens displaying each of the harmless chimera rooms, 2 of which Lucas had never seen before. Claus turned a dial that flipped the screens to Cherry’s room. He pointed to the gelatinous pink blob that was shambling around the room.

“Ok, I’ll give you the fun part of my list of work. I’ve got a checkup I’m supposed to do on Cherry, but I’ve got a meeting in...”

He paused, checking the time.

“...10 minutes. You’ve done checkups on her before, and you’re gonna do one again. I have the meeting, who knows how long it’ll go on for, so you can spend the day with her if you’d like. The only other thing I need you to do is check on the other 2 harmless chimera. I’ll handle the basement chimera and the absurdly boring meeting.”

Lucas nodded happily, giving a bouncy salute as Claus left. He knew the basic procedure when it came to checkups: get the chimera distracted, inspect anything suspicious that they may have acquired, and ask them about how they feel to make sure they’re not sick. It was routine work for Lucas, and he was happy to do it again. He placed his hand on a panel attached to the wall, a tiny green line scanning the panels surface for a brief moment, before the door in front of him slid open. He stepped inside, looking around to make sure he was in the right room, and was greeted with the sight of a massive, cherry pink, gelatinous blob sitting in the center of the room.

“Good morning, Cherry!”

Almost on cue, the blob turned and rushed at Lucas, enveloping him in a squishy hug. She purred and cooed, nuzzling her face against his helmet in joy. Lucas attempted to return the embrace, but found his arms locked to his sides. Cherry was surprisingly strong for her appearance. He managed to pry himself from her grip, readjusted his helmet, and gave her a loving pat on the head.

“It’s good to see you, too! Claus sent me here to do a checkup on you, so I need you to stay still for me, ok?”

Cherry squeaked and got herself comfortable, tilting her head as Lucas began to look at her, examining her squishy body for anything out of the ordinary. Cherry stayed perfectly still for the whole ordeal, only moving her head to try and see what was going on. Lucas asked the usual questions he had to ask: are you feeling ok, anything out of the ordinary, etc, etc. He barely even thought about the words as he continued his examination. He’d said them so many times before that he was basically running on autopilot anytime he had to do a procedure like this, and it wasn’t long before it was over. Lucas jotted down a couple notes on a small notebook, then put it back into his jacket, sighing. Claus wouldn’t be back for a while, and he was in no mood to nap, so what else was there to do? He tapped his foot against the floor, letting a few small ideas glide over his mind. One in particular caught his attention. He turned to Cherry, gave her a little wave, and hurriedly left, closing the door, and speed-walking down the hall. It occurred to him that he’d never met the other 2 harmless chimera, mostly because he was too preoccupied to ever let the thought cross his mind, but he’d never met them nonetheless.

_Claus had said something about 2 other chimera around the lab. What were their names? Mocha and Sky? I think that’s what he told me... Now I just need to figure out where they are..._

He walked around the corner, noticing the signature round windows that were used to see into a chimeras room. He abruptly stopped himself and peered in, spotting a brown figure with a long green tail just out of view. He found the door to the room up ahead, and promptly ran to it, opening it up, and stepping inside. The room was filled with pillows and beanbag chairs, as well as an assortment of small blankets that had been scattered amongst the pillows. Little drawings lined the walls, and he noticed the odd amount of feathers that had been left on the floor, taking care to avoid stepping on any. Over by one of the windows was the brown figure he’d seen before, except it was a lot larger than he originally expected. The creature was far taller than he was, probably standing closer to 6 or 7 feet in height. It had 3 pairs of long arms, one of which was tucked in front, and 3 pairs of large ears that seemed to pick up on every sound Lucas made. He noticed the fact that it had no legs, and instead had a long, scaly, green tail for a lower half. It turned sharply, staring at him with shimmering, neon green eyes. Lucas froze, watching as the creature slithered towards him, pulling itself across the floor with its lengthy arms. He felt a small shiver of fear creep up his spine, his body beginning to try and back out of the situation. The creature lunged at him, and in a flurry of movements, Lucas found himself comfortably wrapped in the arms of the creature. It slithered over to the largest beanbag chair in the room, climbed in, and curled up with Lucas in its arms. It was stronger than Cherry, able to keep Lucas nearly completely immobile. It wrapped its tail around his legs, comfortably immobilizing them. It shifted Lucas into a slightly awkward position, his arms stuck above his head, his jacket ever so slightly pulled upwards, and his head cupped in the fluffy paws of the creature. Two of the arms hovered oh so close to his partially exposed stomach, fingers wiggling in a playfully teasing way. Lucas went wide eyed, realizing what was going to happen to him.

_Oh no..._

~~~{+}~~~

Claus had nearly fallen asleep in the middle of the meeting. His head was semi-comfortably rested in his hand, the only thing keeping it from slamming against the table. He despised these meetings, they did nothing to actually help. Most of the time, they were just the Pigmask generals rambling about inconveniences Claus never bothered to fix. Simple things, like a door being too creaky, or a position they aren’t too happy about. He was lucky that he sat in one of the generals seats and not the head seat, since he fell asleep every single time. Someone was bound to notice if he just passed out in the middle of a so-called “important” meeting. General Vaessa lightly tapped his shoulder, leaning over so he could hear her.

“Commander, wake up!”

Claus snapped awake, his hand abruptly hitting the table with a clank. He looked around, found he was still in the meeting room, and let out a silent groan. General Vaessa glanced around for a moment before she leaned in a bit closer, keeping her tone low.

“Sorry, you were going to hit your head on the table if I didn’t wake you up. The meetings almost done, anyway.”

Claus nodded sleepily, letting his head lull against his hand once more. He focused on the quiet whirrs and clicks of his circuits, waiting out the rest of the meeting in total silence. A sudden shuffling of chairs and feet made him jump, snapping back to reality. General Iyleen giggled, helping him up.

“Were you asleep for the entire meeting?”

Claus nodded, rubbing the remaining bits of sleep from his eye. He stepped out of the room, followed by the remaining generals, and made his way to the basement elevator. Beside the circular platform was a small panel with a keypad. Claus tapped the first 2 keys and waited. The platforms center lit up with a pale blue, and the platform began to descend. Tiny lights illuminated the descent, giving off a faint white glow as they went past. It took mere seconds for the platform to stop, clicking into place. Claus straightened up, tucked his hands behind his back, and stepped off the platform. Motion activated lights buzzed to life, filling the silent underground with a low hum. Claus walked forwards and through the barely illuminated darkness. It wasn’t hard to spot General Flyx, as they were clad in a blue and orange Pigmask outfit, something that stood out in the pitch black space. General Flyx gave a simple salute on sight, to which Claus just nodded.

“Hello, Commander! Good to see you down here!”

He turned to the panel on the wall, ready to input something.

“Good to see you as well. You needed help from me?”

Flyx nodded, hesitating a moment as he tapped the keys on the panel.

“Yep. #4213-MD appears to be... off, to put it simply. She’s been curled up in a corner for 2 days now, and refuses to move. I’m simply worried for her health.”

Claus felt a pang of guilt hit him. He gripped his hand tighter, still keeping them behind him, and sighed.

“Well, I’ll take a look at her. If you’d please open the doors for me.”

Flyx nodded sharply and finished tapping the keys, turning to watch the door open. The room was mostly dark, spare for the few tiny lights that kept it lit up. In the back corner sat a massive beast, it’s eyes gleaming in the darkness. It raised its head, letting out a huff. Claus walked up to it, placing a gloved hand on the beasts snout.

“Hello, Mecha. Flyx told me you haven’t been feeling well.”

The beast pushed its snout into his hand, letting out a small purr.

_“I haven’t... One of the reconstructed lions got loose and left me with more than just a few scratches...”_

“Can I see them? The injuries, I mean.”

Claus shifted back on his heels, giving Mecha space to move. She shifted, the light catching the metal plates along her body. Claus has seen her plenty of times before, but it was still terrifying to see a mechanized female Drago towering over him. She turned around, revealing a massive gash along her back, just above the metal plating. She fell onto her side, letting Claus get closer to the injury.

_“It’s bad, isn’t it?”_

Claus nodded, running his hand along the gash. It was rough and and thick, much thicker than normal Drago hide. He felt guilt and shame slam onto his shoulders. Technically, he was responsible for such injuries, as he was the one who decided that the mechanical chimeras could roam around in a larger space. Whilst in this space. Mecha and a reconstructed lion must’ve gotten into a scuffle, and Mecha came out on the losing end. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Claus let PSI flow to his fingertips, creating a soft green glow. He lightly ran his hand along the injury, watching the skin smooth out and change to a light brown scar. Mecha seemed to relax, the pain from the injury melting away. Claus felt some of the weight on his shoulders disappear, a small wave of relief washing over him. The thought of Lucas popped into his head, and he smiled.

_I wonder how he’s doing up there..._

~~~{+}~~~

A high pitched squeal echoed through the room, bubbly laughter following it. Lucas, who had been locked in Mochas embrace, was now squirming desperately to get away. Fluffy fingers swiftly dug into his sides, sending Lucas into another fit of giggles. He’d been stuck like this for a while, and Mocha didn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Mocha shifted Lucas around and locked his arms above his head, giving him a bit of a breather. Lucas weakly tugged at Mocha to try and break free.

“Ok... I’ve had enough...”

Mocha immediately let go, allowing Lucas to practically collapse onto her. He was exhausted, kinda sweaty, and all around ready for a nap. Mocha lifted him up and dragged him over to a pile of pillows, setting him down on them, and then laid on top of him, purring. Soft footsteps caught Lucas’s attention, spotting Claus quietly walking into the room.

“Hey, Claus. Whats up?”

Claus sighed and flopped down into the pillows, curling up next to Lucas.

“I’m tired... one of the chimera in the basement level got hurt and I used up all my PSI trying to heal her...”

Lucas gave his twin a gentle pat, chuckling.

“Well, I’m sure she’s gonna be fine. If you’re tired, we can just nap. I’m already exhausted...”

Claus rolled over, trying to find a comfortable position in the vast pile of pillows.

“Let me guess, Mocha wore you out?”

Lucas nodded.

“Thought so, and you’re right, I could go for a nap.”

The two smiled and nestled themselves in the pillows, drifting off into a restful, dreamy slumber, the sound of Mocha purring lulling them deeper into peaceful dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (This one was still a bit of a mess but it’s better than chapter 9 soooooo)
> 
> Thanks for reading chapter 10! I said it before and I’ll say it again: Im so proud of how far this story has come, and I hope everyone else is too.
> 
> If you want to give me something else to do (and let me plan plot for this damn thing), take a look at my ask blog: ask-clauslivesau-cuzwhynot  
> Send in an ask if you want! I’ll get around to it at some point...
> 
> Until next time, enjoy the rest of summer!


	11. Spectral Horrors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang gets lost in a forest and sets up shop in an abandoned house. Spooks and spirits happen, and the twins find something they dearly missed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey it’s been a while and I am dumbfounded that this took this long. I swear this is at least 4,000 words long and good lord I’m exhausted. School bit me in the ass and I couldn’t work for a bit, but I managed to get this done!
> 
> Anyways, here’s chapter 11!

Chimera of Light, a Mother 3 fanfic

Chapter 11: Spectral Horrors

“So, who’s bright idea was this?”

Kumatora nervously tapped her foot against the dirt, tugging at her sweatshirt sleeves. Duster shone his flashlight in front of the group, lighting up the trees and pathway in front of them.

“I believe it was Claus who suggested this.”

Claus went pale, the color draining from his face. He shook his head, the flashlight in his hand shaking.

“I did not!!”

Lucas shot him a glare, tightening his grip on Dusters arm.

“You absolutely did! You’re the one that woke us all up at quarter-to-midnight!”

Claus buried his face in his jacket, his cheek turning a shade of red from embarrassment.

“Fine, so what if I did! I thought it’d be fun, and I definitely didn’t expect to get LOST!!”

Kumatora gave Claus a shove to make him quiet down, glancing around to make sure nothing was behind them or nearby.

“Keep your damn voice down! Who knows what could be out here!”

The group quietly moved along the path, each keeping an eye out for the other as they slowly traversed the dark forest. Duster abruptly stopped, his flashlight dimly illuminating a run down building up ahead. The rest of the group stopped just behind him, shining their flashlights on the ruined building. Kumatora shook her head, turning around and lifting her hands up in defeat.

“Nope. Absolutely not. There’s no way in hell I’m going in there.”

She began to walk back down the way they came, only stopping when a sudden clap of thunder sounded.

“What was that...?”

Claus looked around, his mechanical eye scanning the horizon.

“That’d be a thunderstorm, and a close one at that.”

Lucas tensed up, his flashlight wavering in his hand as he glanced towards the sky.

“How c-close is it...?”

“Only a couple minutes away, I’d assume.”

Claus turned to the abandoned building that was still dimly lit up by Dusters flashlight, his eye making little clicks and whirrs as it focused on the building.

“That’s our best bet at shelter. There’s no way we’d make it home before the storm, and it’ll be raining too hard to hide under trees.”

Kumatora reluctantly turned back around, her hood now pulled over her head. Tiny droplets of rain began to pelt the group, creating tiny puddles that splashed everywhere when they ran through them. They found the door to the eerie building to be wide open, and gladly ran inside, breathing a sigh of relief to be under a roof. The relief, however, didn’t last long. The door, which was left wide open, suddenly slammed shut, despite the fact that there was no wind. Lucas, Claus, and Kumatora shrieked and clung to each other while Duster merely stood and stared, seemingly unfazed.

“W-w-was t-that the wind...?”

Duster shook his head, placing a gentle hand on Lucas’s shoulder.

“Nope. There’s not any wind strong enough to blow a door shut like that, considering the fact that the door was flat against the wall, wind couldn’t have done it.”

An aura of unease washed over the group, like something was creeping up their spines.

“This p-place better not be haunted...”

Kumatora released the twins, who were still clinging to each other, and brushed herself off, tugging her hood farther over her head.

“And what if it is? Are you going to hide out in the rain for the whole night or something? Or maybe you’re just scared of some little poltergeists roaming these abandoned halls.”

There was a certain tone to Dusters voice that sounded a tad bit mischievous. A light shade of red struck Kumatoras cheeks as she yanked her hood down farther over her face.

“N-no! I’m not scared of some ghosts! I deal with them all the time in Osohe Castle!!”

Duster snickered, turning his flashlight off, leaving the group in total darkness.

“Is that so, princess? You seem awfully nervous for someone who claims to be unfazed, right, princess?”

He took a few steps towards her, leaning in, and turning the flashlight on, inches from her face. She yelped, shoving him away in panic. Duster couldn’t help but laugh, flicking his flashlight to the interior of the house. The twins released each other, but held hands, keeping a tight grip one one another as they took in the eerie sights.

“I don’t like any of this...”

Lucas whimpered as he looked around, his ears picking up ever subtle creak and groan in the ancient woodwork. The group stood in the entrance to a dilapidated foyer. An elegantly crafted, yet decrepit staircase sat in the very center of the foyer, leading up to a second floor. The floor was wooden along the area leading to the steps, the wood being from black walnut trees. The carpet beyond the wood was faded and stained to the point where the original pattern was nearly impossible to make out. The walls had light traces of mold and mildew on them, the old wallpaper peeling right off the walls. The aura of the place was creepy, like something out of a horror film. A chill crept up Claus’s spine, slowly enveloping him with unease.

“We should try to find a room to stay in. It’s late, and I think everyone’s tired...”

Kumatora clicked her flashlight on, scanning the doors with it.

“I say we split up. It’ll let us find a decent place faster.”

“That’s the worst idea I’ve heard all week. Are you trying to get us killed?”

Kumatora whipped around to face the ginger twin.

“No! What’s wrong with splitting up?! Nothing bad’s gonna happen to us!”

Claus clicked his flashlight to the brightest setting, shining it at one of the doors to his left.

“I’ve seen enough horror films in the New Pork City theater to know that splitting up gets each and every protagonist killed. I am NOT ready to die. We’re staying together.”

Lucas tightened his already strong grip on Claus’s hand, his whimpers becoming more noticeable.

“Fine, we’ll stick together, but you’re gonna lead.”

Claus nodded confidently, strutting forwards to the door he’d been looking at. Kumatora and Duster stayed close behind him, keeping close to Lucas for comfort. Claus opened the door, wincing at the ungodly loud and shrill creak it made upon opening. He peeked around the corner, the beam from his flashlight lighting up the pitch black room, catching the dust particles in the beam. The room was empty, spare for some old wooden crates that were stacked along the wall. Dust and cobwebs were caked atop the crates and floor, swirling into the air as the four stepped inside.

“Jeez, this place must’ve been abandoned for years. It’s dusty enough to give someone an asthma attack.”

Duster took off his backpack, setting it on a crate and pulling out a sleeping bag, laying it on the floor.

“Yeah, but let’s just put that aside. For now, what’s important is getting sleep. It’s late, and I think we all need to rest.”

Claus threw his bag to the floor, his sleeping bag tumbling out onto the floor. He fumbled around with it, opening it up, and setting it down on the dusty floor. He sat down, waiting for Lucas to curl up next to him. The blonde rushed to the older twins side, curling up in his lap. Claus pulled the blanket of the sleeping bag over them, getting himself comfortable. Kumatora didn’t even bother laying out a sleeping bag, she just wrapped herself up in an old blanket and curled up on the floor. The room was quiet for a while, the only sounds being the pouring rain, rhythmic breathing of the sleeping group, and the creaks of the house. Everyone was asleep, except for Claus, who sat wide awake. His circuits made a rhythmic  click click whirrr every second or so. Lucas had grown to find the noise calming, and was nestled against Claus’s chest, limiting his movement. He snapped towards a faint groan on the other side of the room, noticing Duster sitting up in the darkness. His mechanical eye adjusted to the darkness, his vision gaining a faint reddish tint to let him see in the pitch black room. Claus relaxed, seeing it was just Duster, his head resting against Lucas’s.

“Claus, what are you doing awake?”

Dusters voice was low and soft, quiet enough to barely be heard by Claus.

“I should be asking you the same.”

Claus kept his voice just as low. He had no plans on waking Lucas up from being too loud.

“Claus, you know I’m naturally nocturnal. You, however, are not.”

Claus averted his eyes, his vision returning to the natural darkness.

“Are you feeling ok? It’s unlike you to stay up for this long.”

Duster pushed himself up against the wall for support, glancing at Claus.

“I’m just on edge. I can’t rest until I feel safe enough, and this place has an aura I don’t like. My circuitry will keep me awake until I actually need rest.”

He could hear Duster sigh, the soft cream in the wood signaling that he had stood up and begun moving towards him. Claus lightly moved to get more comfortable, running his hand through Lucas’s hair.

“Claus, I get that you don’t like the aura of this place; I don’t like it either, but I don’t want you to be awake like this. It’s not your job to keep watch. If something happens, I’ll be the first to wake up. Don’t worry about keeping playing lookout for us, we’ll be fine. Please, just get some sleep.”

Claus sighed, his circuits slowing in whirrs and clicks. He sunk down into the sleeping bag, a hand carefully keeping Lucas close as he slid deeper into the bag. He instinctively curled around his younger brother, nestling his face in his hair. Duster smiled, gave him a gentle pat on the head, and limped back to his sleeping bag. The faint whirrs of Claus’s circuitry slowed to a stop as he drifted into a light sleep. His rest, however, was short lived. Something crept into the room, its fingers slowly walking up Claus’s back. He shot up, taking Lucas with him, his circuits nearly screeching to life.

“W-who’s there?!”

He pulled Lucas close and took aim at the darkness, his arm cannon flaring up. Lucas whimpered at the sudden awakening, clinging to Claus for dear life. Duster and Kumatora woke up from the panic Claus had caused, PSI sparking from Kumatoras fingertips.

“What’s going on? Is everything ok?”

Flaming diamond shaped particles danced around Kumatoras hand, lighting up the room. Nothing was there, besides the 4 of them, and whatever had been there had fled before they could see it. Claus lowered his arm cannon, the shot it had charged flickering away.

“S-something was touching my back... and it wasn’t anyone here...”

He was shaking, holding Lucas as closely as he could. Kumatora got up, shuffling over to the twins, and sat down behind them, pulling them into her lap.

“You sure it wasn’t Lucas?”

Claus nodded hastily, his breath hitching.

“I-I’m sure of it! Lucas had his b-back to me! There’s no way he could’ve d-d-done it!”

Kumatora let her PSI flare up, the flaming particles at her fingertips growing in size to light up the room. Nobody was there, besides the group, but there was an eerie presence. It hung in the air, lingering near the ginger twin. She could hear the twins whimpering underneath her tight grip, curled up in fear.

“There’s something here, and it’s not good. Duster, start packing up your stuff. I don’t think we can stay put.”

Duster nodded, sliding out of his sleeping bag and rolling it up. He watched Kumatora mumble something to the frightened twins, easing them off of her. She packed up their bags, gingerly put the bags on their shoulders, and helped them up. They were desperately clinging to each other, whimpering and pleading to leave. Kumatora gave a reassuring hug, then motioned for everyone to follow her. Duster and Kumatora lead the way while Lucas and Claus slowly trudged behind.

“We should keep moving, even if we’re tired. Whatever that thing was, it probably wasn’t good.”

Kumatora gave a sharp nod, scanning the hallway with her flashlight. The floors creaked with each step, which only made the twins more nervous. They stayed close to each other, practically glued at the hip. Each noise caught their attention, made them jump, and induced a tiny bit more fear than the last. It didn’t help that they were too scared to pull their flashlights out, and were solely relying on Kumatora for guidance. Their pace slowed when a creak turned into a loud crackling sound. The twins looked down to find the floor beneath them crumbling. They made a break for it, but moved too late, the ground beneath their feet caving in just before they could leap off. They yelped, disappearing into the darkness below. Kumatora and Duster whipped around to find a hole in the floor and the twins missing.

“Oh shit... did the floor cave in when we weren’t looking or something?!”

Kumatora shined the beam of the flashlight into the depths of the hole, catching a glimpse of a metallic reflection before it completely disappeared. Her face went pale, turning to Duster with a look of utter fear.

“We need to find a way down there, and fast. Those two are gonna be lucky to survive that fall.”

Duster nodded, and the two dashed off into the halls of the mansion.

~~~{+}~~~

Darkness enveloped the twins as they plummeted, wind thundering in their ears. Claus could barely hear Lucas from the wind. He noticed a trickle of light sparking from the blondes fingers, allowing him to see the glistening tears in his eyes. Claus, in an act of desperation, opened his wings and folded them around Lucas, letting the metal click and lock into place, acting as a shield against the coming landing. He mustered up as much PSI as possible, forming a shield at his back, and shut his eyes, waiting for the ground to finally come slamming against him. Seconds passed, and then it came. The impact shattered the shield, leaving temporary fragments of it in the air. His body burned and stung with pain as it crashed into the earth, bouncing a bit, toppling down a small hill, and straight into a wall. His wings gave a small puff of steam as they unlocked, releasing Lucas from the near death grip he was in. Lucas pushed himself up, glanced at Claus, and panicked.

“Claus?! Are you ok?!”

He was motionless, silent. He appeared unconscious, but Lucas couldn’t say for sure. His first instinct was to press his ear to Claus’s chest, listening for his heartbeat. He waited, only able to hear the rhythmic thump of his normal half, but quickly found the signature beeping of mechanical half. A wave of relief washed over him as he sat back up, sighing.

His heart’s still going... he’s going to be fine...

He checked the rest of Claus, using PSI to heal up the nasty injuries he had taken. Surprisingly, he had no broken bones, but he had a slew of cuts and bruises coating his body. His shirt was ripped in some spots, and his wings looked like they had been decimated, but he was otherwise ok. Lucas gently shook him, searching for any sign of consciousness.

“Claus?”

No answer.

“Are you awake or not?”

No answer.

“C’mon, please be awake. I don’t want to carry you.”

No answer again.

Lucas sighed, lifting Claus up and onto his back. He nearly toppled over from the weight of the ginger. He didn’t expect him to be as heavy as he was, considering that he was thinner than Lucas.

“God, those mechanizations must weight a metric ton. How do you even manage all that?”

He pushed Claus up a bit higher and grabbed his flashlight, clicking it on. The beam lit up the dark cavern they had fallen into, guiding the way to a small exit in a rocky wall. Lucas followed the light of his flashlight, carefully traversing the tunnel. Claus weighed down on him enough to prevent him from running, which made the trek more nerve racking than he would’ve wanted. Water dripped from the ceiling and into little puddles beneath his feet. He would occasionally shine his flashlight above and behind him to make sure nothing was nearby, ready to attack him.

After a couple minutes of what felt like endless walking, Claus stirred. He was groggy, and in a fair bit of pain, but he was finally conscious. He lightly tapped Lucas on the cheek, grumbling.

“Can you stop so I can get down?”

Lucas instantly froze, crouching down so Claus could scoot off of him.

“Thanks. Sorry about all that. I didn’t think I’d knock myself out like that.”

Lucas waved a dismissive hand, helping his twin to his feet.

“Don’t worry about it. By the way, you’re heavier than you look.”

Claus rolled his eyes, pulling his flashlight out of his bag, amazed that it still turned on after that fall.

“Oh, I bet I am. These mechanizations are heavier than they look, Lemon Drops. I’m surprised you could even lift me, what with the physique you have.”

There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice. With a smirk, he quickened his pace and strutted in front of Lucas. The blonde shrugged, giving Claus a playful slug to the shoulder.

“Sure, I may not look very tough, but Kumatora trained me. I’m stronger than I look, Gingersnap.”

Claus snickered and lifted his right arm, tightening the nonexistent muscles in it.

“Oh really? Can you lift up a Pork Bean with one hand? I don’t think so.”

Lucas pulled Claus’s arm down and yanked him forwards, shining his flashlight into the tunnel.

“Claus, you can only lift one of those things because you’ve got a fully mechanized arm. That’s cheating. Now, c’mon. I don’t wanna be down here any longer than I have to be.”

Claus nodded, picking up pace to keep up with Lucas. The two walked through the tunnel for what felt like forever, until they found an opening. It lead to a small, decaying room. The entire place was made out of wood, which was rotting. Water damage and mold dotted the walls and floor, and small puddles sat around the floor. The twins took one look around and immediately locked hands, fear sparking up again. They took a couple steps, nervously snapping to every sound that reached their ears, and then their flashlights went out. They panicked, frantically clicking the switch on the flashlight to get it back on.

“C-Claus?! Why did the flashlights go out?!”

“I don’t know! Something must’ve put them out!”

Claus attempted to muster up a small PK Fire, but found his PSI seemed to be acting up. Nothing would form, and his mind felt as if someone had cut the signal to it, filling it with static. He couldn’t seem to access PSI or telepathy, not could he think straight. He glanced over at Lucas, noticing that he was experiencing similar problems. The only light the two had was from Claus’s mechanized eye. The glow was weak, and provided barely any light whatsoever, leaving them in near complete darkness.

“I don’t think it’s safe here...”

Lucas tightened his grip, inching closer to Claus. They could sense a malicious presence somewhere in the room, but weren’t quite sure where it was. That is, until is formed right behind them. A freezing chill struck them as long, shadowy fingers slowly laid themselves on the twins shoulders. A chilling breath brushed against the twins necks, followed by a sinister chuckle.

“Safe...? Oh, you poor little souls...”

A shadowy figure with 6 gleaming, red eyes leaned in between the twins heads, a haunting grin on its face.

“As long as I linger here... this place will never be safe...”

The twins turned to see the the multi-eyed figure grinning at them, and froze. The color drained from their faces and their eyes went wide. The shadowy fingers laying on their shoulders gently crept around their collarbone, inching closer and closer to their necks. The two gave each other a terrified glance, a scream bubbling up.

“S-someone, HEEELLLPPP!!!”

~~~{+}~~~

“Are you sure this is going to work?”

“Positive.”

Duster tied a rope to the top of the support beam. He’d spent a couple minutes gathering materials around the mansion with Kumatora, and finally managed to scrape a couple necessary items together. They couldn’t find a safe way down, and needed to get to the twins before it was possibly too late, and their best bet was to go through the same hole the twins fell through. It was too deep to safely land in, but it was possible to get down via a rope or bungee. He’d made a temporary ropeway down to the bottom of the hole, and was ready to jump down.

“Duster, I don’t know about this...”

“Nonsense! You’ll be fine! We’ve done similar things to this before, right?”

Kumatora nodded, rubbing her sleeve.

“So, you’ll be just fine this time!”

He tied the rope around his waist, securing it, and holding out a hand for Kumatora to take.

“We shouldn’t argue over this. The twins could be hurt down there, and I don’t want to lose the chance to help them.”

Kumatora sighed, nodded, and took his hand, being yanked into his grasp. She was tucked underneath his arm, and he had a firm grip around her torso. He kept a hand on the rope, ready to grab it if needed.

“Ready?”

One final nod signaled her readiness, and then he jumped. Kumatora shut her eyes, clinging to Dusters arm for her life. The fall took seconds, and it a surprisingly soft landing. He let Kumatora down, then pulled the rope off of his waist. The two clicked their flashlights on and began their search.

“Duster, there’s a body sized streak in the floor, and it’s got wings.”

Duster turned to see Kumatora pointing at a large, wet streak in the floor that went down the hill and crashed into a wall. The streak had wings that seemed to awkwardly curl around something. The entire thing lead to a large spot on the wall where said streak had crashed, leaving a large wet mark on the wall. More wet marks scattered the floor, trailing off into footprints that lead down a tunnel. Small metal fragments dotted the wall around the streak, and tiny hints of blood were speckled amongst the metal.

“I’d assume that’s Claus. Lucas wouldn’t have survived that fall, even with a PSI shield. If Claus used his body as a shield, as well as a PSI shield, they’d most likely survive. For now, let’s follow those footprints. If it leads us nowhere, we can search elsewhere.”

Kumatora nodded, taking the lead as they headed into the tunnel. Their walk was relatively silent, spare for the few small conversations about their surroundings. They made it to the very end of the tunnel, spotting an opening leading to a decaying room. Lucas and Claus lay motionless towards the center of the room, an eerie, shadowy figure looming over them. Kumatora hastily shined her flashlight at the figure, revealing a sort of stitched together beast with gleaming red eyes. Duster flinched, his hand ready to grab thief tools.

“My... have these two summoned up help...? How quaint...”

The figure turned, its shadowy claws flexing and curling eagerly.

“Get away from them, you freak!”

Kumatora had so much bitterness to her tone that Duster could practically feel it. The shadowy figure grinned, its smile stretching up to its eyes.

“Oh, I won’t be leaving them anytime soon...”

And with that, Kumatora snapped. She lunged at the beast, PSI flaring like a flame. Duster hurriedly darted underneath the battle and over to the twins, ducking past stray bolts of PSI. He crouched by the twins, assessing them. They were unconscious, but unhurt. Faint red scratch lines traced from their shoulders up to their collarbones, stopping at the very bottom of their necks. A stray blast of PSI whizzed past his head, smashing into the wall. He fumbled with the items he had stored in his bag, pulling out a small box of medicinal items. He moved quickly, cleaning up the scratch marks with herbal ointments and shaking the twins to try and wake them up. Eventually, the sounds of Kumatora shouting out her attacks mixed with the blasts of PSI progressively faded away, leaving only Kumatoras heavy breathing as she trudged over to where Duster was.

“All... taken care of...”

She sat down next to Duster, wiping the dirt and grime off her hands. She gave Claus a gentle push, watching as he shifted and almost pushed her back. It was a nice bit of relief to know that they were ok. The second Lucas and Claus got a grip on reality, they shot up, PSI flickering to life at their fingertips.

“Relax, you’re ok. You’re safe now.”

Duster placed his hands on their heads, a warm, comforting smile on his face. He gladly accepted the hasty hug the twins pulled him into. Kumatora happily joined the embrace, snuggling between the twins. Their embrace was short lived, as the twins quickly let go and pulled themselves to their feet, clearly ready to get as far away from this place as humanly possible. Duster and Kumatora took them by the hand and lead them back to the hole they fell through, careful to keep the twins as close to them as possible.

“Aight, how exactly are we going to get out of this thing? I doubt that rope can hold all four of us, and Claus absolutely can’t fly on busted up wings.”

Kumatora pondered the idea of using PSI to warp out of the hole, but her idea was squashed when she realized that most of her PSI had been used up during her scuffle with whatever was down there. Duster, as if he could read her mind, gave a reassuring smirk, a handful of wall staples neatly organized in his hand.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got enough wall staples to create a makeshift staircase out of here.”

He expertly launched each staple into the wall, forming a narrow, but stable staircase. The staples were at least a foot apart, but it wasn’t impossible to get across. Duster lead the way up, the twins at his heels, and Kumatora staying close behind them. Despite the damage to his wings, Claus found that he could use the remaining amounts of fuel in them to get some extra height to his jumps, and was all to ready to help haul Lucas up with him. Midway up the staircase, he pulled Lucas onto his back, and began using his wings to hop up an extra few steps with each jump, quickly passing Duster, and easily reaching the main floor long before the rest of the group. He patiently waited as Duster and Kumatora finally pulled themselves up the last staple, taking a moment to rest once they reached solid ground.

“Sorry you guys had to come and get us. We would’ve been able to handle it ourselves, if it wasn’t for the fact that our PSI was disabled for a bit, leaving us defenseless. Not to mention, my arm cannon malfunctioned and short circuited, so that didn’t help either.”

Claus sheepishly rubbed his beaten and dirtied arm, mud smearing onto his hand in the process.

“Don’t sweat it. We should’ve paid more attention. It’s kinda our fault that you two fell.”

Kumatora tugged at her hoodie, fixing the crooked hood on it before motioning to get moving again.

“This time, we should stick as close as we can. I’m not in good fighting condition at the moment.”

Duster nodded, limping in front of the group, leading the way once more. The rest followed, staying directly behind the other as they walked. The sound of thunder and rain had ceased, but it was still too dark to find their way home. Claus suspected it was most likely around 3-4 in the morning, which was still too early for sunrise. He felt exhausted, the electricity that was coursing through his circuits mere hours ago almost drained dry. His legs were shaky, stumbling with each step. His left eye was blurry, the image it produced turning to static every second or so. His arm had gone limp, and his body felt like it was completely shutting down. They rounded a corner, stopping suddenly.

“Here, this room has a fair few exits, and it looks like it was recently cleaned. If something attack’s, we’ve got some escape routes.”

Lucas tugged at his sleeve, motioning to the hallway. Duster turned and saw the anxiety plastered in Lucas’s expression.

“Can me and Claus go for a walk? We won’t go very far...”

Kumatora gave a subtle nod, and Duster sighed, giving the blonde the thumbs up. Lucas smiled and walked out, taking Claus by the hand and slowly walking down the hall. Claus was weak, his legs barely pulling him along. Lucas made sure to walk slowly so Claus could keep up, and took frequent stops so he could muster up any last bits of electricity to move. As they sluggishly walked the halls, a warm, familiar presence came over them. It was a calming, soothing sensation, one the twins had felt before. In the distance, a figure cloaked in red stood silently, their body wavering in the air. They had long, chestnut brown hair, shimmering blue eyes, and wore a lovely red dress. The figure was all too familiar once they twins managed to get a good look at the figure.

“M-mom?!”

The twins were shocked to see their deceased mother standing right before them. Her arms were outstretched, beckoning them to come into her embrace. She smiled warmly, taking a few steps forwards.

“My sweet little boys, come to your mother.”

They wasted no time leaping into their mothers arms, tears streaking down their faces.

“Mama!!!”

Lucas had buried his face in Hinawas shoulder while Claus nestled his face in Hinawas chest, holding back the majority of his tears. Lucas, on the other hand, was bawling his eyes out, his wails only interrupted by sniffling.

“Shh, don’t cry. I’m right here. Everything is going to be ok.”

She gently ran her fingers through Lucas’s hair, lightly wiping the tears from his eyes. Lucas could barely push down the tsunami of emotions spilling out of him. Claus, despite his similar torrent of emotions, was calmer than Lucas was. He was almost too tired to cry. It reminded him of the battle for the last needle, how exhausted he became, and how his body just wanted to give up in the arms of his mother. He felt Hinawa shift to support him and Lucas a little better, pulling them closer to her. She cradled them, just as she did when they were little, her arms wrapped around them as they curled up to her. Claus felt her run her fingers through his hair, lightly fluffing it up. He looked up at her, tears still streaming down his face. She smiled at him, wiping the tears off his face.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you two all those years ago. It must’ve been so hard without me. I wish I could’ve stayed a little bit longer.”

Her voice was soft, taking on a light, smooth tone. It almost didn’t sound real.

“I miss you both so very much. You two are so very precious to me.”

As she spoke, Lucas calmed down. His wails turned to muffled sobs, his body stopped shaking as much, and his shaky breaths became more stable. He slowly lifted his head, leaving a tear stained imprint in Hinawas dress, wiping the remaining tears out of his eyes. Hinawa shifted again, letting the twins lie against her. She could see the exhaustion in their eyes, and how badly they needed to rest. Instinctively, Lucas latched onto Claus, pulling him close, and snuggling up against their mother. Small flashes of old memories sparked up in Claus’s mind, drowning out the world for a brief moment.

_“Lucas! Claus! What’s wrong?”_

_Hinawa sat up, carefully sliding out of bed. Before her stood Lucas and Claus, quietly sobbing._

_“I-I had a n-nightmare...”_

_Lucas managed to choke out between sobs. Claus, who had his head turned to look at the floor, nodded in agreement._

_“I had one, t-too...”_

_He was holding back, Hinawa could see it. She knew that he wanted to be strong for Lucas, to show him that everything would be ok, even if it clearly wasn’t. She knelt down, opening her arms. The twins shuffled into her embrace, breaking into louder, muffled sobs._

_“Don’t worry, you’re safe. It was just a nightmare. Nothing about it can hurt you now.”_

_She could make out small bits of information on each twins nightmare based on the little things they managed to make out between lines of incoherent babbling. Lucas had dreamt of him losing everything to a shadowy darkness that swallowed the island, and Claus had dreamt of everyone turning against him, morphing into misshapen amalgamations of themselves. Their dreams both ended the same, with the respective twin who had survived getting swallowed up by the opposing force. She comforted them until they calmed down, letting them sob and tug at her nightgown. Claus always calmed down first, and would almost always focus his attention to Lucas in an effort to help the blonde calm down as well. Once both twins had quieted down to sniffling and tiny little sobs, she’d have them explain what happened in detail. She found that having them explain the entirety of their dream made them less frightened. As they spoke, she could hear Flint slowly waking up. She waited until the twins had finished speaking, then lifted them up and climbed back into bed. Flint sat up, his signature hat sliding off his head and onto the covers._

_“What in tarnation are ya’ll doing awake? It’s half past midnight...”_

_He wiped the drool off his face, noticing Lucas and Claus tucked underneath the covers._

_“Lemme guess, ‘nother nightmare?”_

_The twins nodded._

_“Well that explains it.”_

_He scooted over, slumping back onto his pillow. He picked his hat up and set it back over his face._

_“C’mon, it’s late. Ya’ll need sleep.”_

_He sighed, pulling the covers over himself, laying his arms on his chest. Hinawa smiled, pulling her half of the covers over herself and the twins, who had already begun to drift off. A soft melody reached the twins ears as they drifted off into sleep, faintly echoing in the silent room. The melody was slow and melodic, like a lullaby, slowly lulling them deeper into slumber..._

Claus slowly opened his eyes, the same melody from the memory echoing through his ears. He sleepily looked up, noticing that Hinawa was beautifully singing a lullaby to them. Lucas was barely awake, his eyes fluttering shut every few seconds. Claus struggled to stay awake as well, nestling up to the warmth of his mother. Hinawa ran her hands through their hair, her lullaby fading from the twins minds as they slipped away, dozing off in her embrace. Hinawa kept singing, almost like she was waiting for something. Minutes later, footsteps began to reach her ears. Her singing stopped, and she pulled the twins closer for a brief moment.

“I wish I could stay here with you until you wake up, but I must go. You’ll be safe here, for now. I’ll be watching over you, even when I’m not there.”

She leaned in, giving each twin a gentle kiss on the forehead.

“Rest, my little ones. I’ll see you again soon.”

She laid them down upon the floor, draping a soft blanket over them. She stood up, her body beginning to phase away. As she began to disappear, sunflowers and vegetation formed beneath the twins, creating a cushion from the wood floor. The second Duster rounded the corner, she was gone, leaving only a small scrap of red cloth behind. Duster stood in the doorway to the room, staring at the sight that was the twins. They were laying intertwined atop a bed of sunflowers and soft leaves, a handmade blanket draped over them. They were dozing peacefully, snuggled up in the soft flora. Duster smiled, turning his flashlight off. He carefully lifted the twins up, the flora, which he originally thought was stuck to the floor, coming with. He grabbed the scrap of cloth, walking back to the room they had set up in. Kumatora had pulled her sleeping bag over her shoulders, awkwardly crammed into a corner. Duster laid the twins down next to Kumatora, squished next to her, and pulled his sleeping bag over himself.

“You don’t mind me sleeping next to you, right?”

Kumatora gave a small groan, leaning up against the thief.

“Just go to sleep already, ya bum...”

She gave him a light shove, pulling her sleeping bag farther over herself.

“Mkay.”

Duster rested his head on Kumatoras, listing out a quiet sigh. In minutes, the two were blissfully slumbering, nestled together with the twins resting against them, a dreamy smile on their faces.

~~~{+}~~~

The next morning was much more relaxing. They promptly left the second dawn gave them light. Claus had undergone an automatic repair while he slept, which let him use his wings again. He shot himself to the sky, picking out a route that lead back to Tazmily. It wasn’t long before they escaped the depths of the forest and emerged on a familiar trail.

“Thank the gods we found this...”

“Don’t you mean, thank Claus? Because I think I was the one who found this.”

“Whatever, at least we’re on the way home.”

Lucas tried to untangle his matted down hair, wincing as his fingers got caught under a knot. Claus rolled his eyes, pulling his backpack up a bit.

“Dad’s gonna have a fit when he finds out about this...”

Claus felt a sense of dread hang on his shoulders. Flint was known to have a temper, and today was going to be no different. He suspected that him and Lucas would be grounded, and wouldn’t be allowed any farther than Tazmily for at least a few days. The dread hung heavier when he realized this would keep him from working on important things at the Chimera Lab, which only made him feel worse. Duster put a hand on his shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“Hey, we’re coming with you on this. Wess could care less about me being home or not, and Kuma has no parents to even call her out on it. We’ll have your back.”

Claus gave a small smile. Even though Kumatora and Duster would stick up for them, Flint was going to ground him and Lucas, no matter what consensus they came to. He sighed, finally at the end of the trail. The group stopped and took in the sight of finally being home. Lucas caught sight of Flint tending to the livestock by their house, and frowned. Claus grabbed him by the hand and started walking towards their house, his circuits clicking with anticipation. As they approached their father, he turned to face them.

“Where the hell were you two last night.”

His tone was layered with anger, but it sounded like he was holding back. The hidden glare from his shaded eyes made the twins cower a bit.

“W-we got lost! We tried to find our way b-back, but it was so dark that we g-got lost!”

Lucas stuttered, rubbing his palm with his free hand.

“And ya didn’t even think to use what ya had to find a way home?! Claus, for gods sake, you can fly! Didja ever think to use that?!”

Claus hesitantly shook his head, his gaze lowering to the dirt.

“In their defense, Flint, we should’ve tried to help. Both me and Kuma neglected to assist, and we all decided to hide out in an abandoned mansion to avoid a storm, so it’s not like we could’ve safely gotten home in the first place.”

Flint seemed to calm down a bit upon hearing that the storm hindered their ability to go anywhere, relaxing and tilting his hat farther over his eyes.

“Alright, so the storm stopped ya’ll from getting home, but that doesn’t explain why you two decided to sneak out in the first place.”

He pointed a finger at the twins, who shamefully looked to the ground.

“We wanted to go explore.”

Claus spoke bluntly. He saw no point in trying to lie in front of his father. He was backed into a corner, and he saw no other way out than explaining the situation honestly.

“I swear, you two are just a load of trouble nowadays... You’re both grounded for a week. You’re going no farther than Tazmily village, with the exception of Osohe Castle, but only if someone escorts you there, understand?”

He crossed his arms waiting for a response from the two.

“Dad, it was my idea. Don’t punish Lucas just because I dragged him into this. I’m the one who caused this, so just ground me and leave Lucas alone. He didn’t do anything wrong.”

Flint shook his head, his glare softening, but remaining stern enough to make the twins feel guilty.

“Claus, you knew that you’d both get in trouble from this. I’m not going to change my mind just ‘cuz Lucas was forced to come along with. You’re both at fault.”

The twins frowned.

“However, I’ll be nice and let you two visit your friends, as long as they come and get you if they live far, like Kumatora. Just stay within Tazmily, ok? I don’t want to lose ether of you because of some stupid decision one or both of ya made.”

The twins lightened up, smiling a bit.

“Ok dad!”

He gave them a hug, then turned to go back to the livestock.

“By the way, did you two pass through the sunflower field or somethin’? You both smell like it.”

The twins exchanged nervous glances, wondering if they should explain their encounter with Hinawa or not.

“Yep! We took a little shortcut through one! It was fun!”

Claus gave Lucas a subtle high-five, glad he’d saved him from explaining such a touchy topic.

“Hmm, sounds like it.”

Flint chuckled to himself, pushing his hat up.

“Well, how about ya’ll tell me about this abandoned mansion? I’m all ears.”

“Sure thing, dad! It all started when we got lost in the middle of the forest in the dead of night...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAA IVE DONE IT
> 
> Chapter 11 is done...  
> Wow that took forever.
> 
> I’m gonna take a break for a little bit, and then I’m gonna start on the next one.
> 
> See you again soon!


	12. Easy Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a nice chill day with Flint and the kids. Also Claus might need some repairs soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY I MANAGED TO GET ANOTHER CHAPTER DONE.
> 
> Sorry it took so long. School hasn’t exactly been kicking my ass, but I haven’t had the same amount of time that I had over the summer break. None the less, I got it done, even if it isn’t my best work.
> 
> Now then, enjoy chapter 12!

Chimera of Light, a Mother 3 fanfic

Chapter 12: Easy Days

It was a warm, sunny day. The breeze rustled the leaves on the trees. Birds chirped far above the ground. It was a sight Claus took in every chance he got. He loved nature, ever since he was little, and was glad to see that Tazmily hadn’t changed in some aspects. Lucas was quietly reading an old book next to him, the faint flipping of pages being the only noises from him. Claus took the time to remind himself of the easy days when he was little. The mere thought of it brought a smile to his face. Memories of playing with the Dragos, tending to livestock, running through sunflower fields, and play fighting with Lucas came flooding back for a brief moment. He laid back against the tree trunk, sighing quietly. Lucas felt Claus lean against him, taking a peek at the book he was reading.

“Whatcha reading?”

Lucas perked up, closing the book with his finger between the pages.

“It’s called ‘Variants of the Sun’. It’s about a girl who lived in a tribe that worshiped the sun, and once people reach a certain age, they’re transformed into gods. However, this girl never transforms, no matter how many times they perform the ritual. She decides to go on an adventure to find out why she cannot transform, and discovers her hidden powers along the way. It’s really a good book, if you’d ever want to read it!”

Claus shrugged, silently examining the cover. The book was a hardcover, as were most of the books in the house, and was a little dirty. The cover was a vermillion-orange, sporting a yellow gradient towards the center. The words ‘Variants of the Sun’ were inscribed in red in a fancy cursive. The bottom was too faded to make out the author or publisher, but it didn’t matter. The book seemed quite lengthy as well, much larger than most of the books in the house, yet Lucas was able to hold it up with ease. He opened the book back up to the page his finger was on, and resumed reading. Lucas was always quiet when he read to himself. He rarely made a sound, aside from flipping the pages. It made for a peaceful scenario, which Claus was always happy to enjoy. As time passed, he found himself getting bored, his mind racing with something to do. Lucas had scooted into the ginger twins lap, resting up against him. He had tucked his knees into his chest, placing his book on his thighs. Claus had his arms wrapped around the blonde, his head resting atop his brothers. He pulled his arms tighter around Lucas. And lifted him up, much to Lucas’s protest. He carried him down the hill and into the house, tossing him onto their bed. He backed up, then attempted to launch himself into his twin, who quickly rolled to the side, leaving Claus to faceplant the bed. He sat up, rubbing his nose, and gave Lucas a glare.

“C’mon! You were supposed to stay put!”

He tackled Lucas in a hug, nearly shoving the blonde off the bed.

“You’re strong enough to crush me! I wasn’t going to risk breaking something!”

Lucas lightly punched his twins shoulder, letting himself get squashed by the older twin in the process. He had fond memories of play fighting with Claus when they were younger. He was almost always the loser, but he didn’t care. Claus was always careful to be gentle with Lucas and not launch him halfway across the hill they’d play on, or slam into him hard enough to seriously hurt him. Of course, accidents did happen, and Lucas would occasionally wind up with a nasty cut or bruise, but Claus would always apologize for it and take full responsibility, even if it meant he got into a lot of trouble. Lucas was snapped out of his thoughts when Claus suddenly vaulted off the bed with Lucas in his arms. The blonde let out a shrill yelp and clung to Claus’s shirt, helplessly being carried outside and towards the livestock pen. Flint was tending to the fluffy sheep who were grazing outside the pen. Claus strutted up to him and set Lucas down, running a hand through the sheep’s wool.

“Hey, dad! Whatcha doing?”

Flint turned to look at Claus, who was smiling at him. He wiped the droplets of sweat from his forehead, pushing the brim of his hat up.

“Just workin’ on the livestock. You two thinkin’ ‘bout helping me?”

Claus nodded, wrapping an arm around his twins shoulder, roping him into the situation.

“Yep! It’s been a while since we last helped out, right Lucas?”

Lucas reluctantly nodded, sheepishly smiling. Flint adjusted his hat, gesturing to the group of sheep behind the one he had been tending to.

“Alright then. How about you two get the other sheep corralled? Simple enough for ya?”

The twins nodded, giving each other confident glances. Lucas gave a short whistle, watching as Boney came bounding towards him. He knelt down and scratched the fluffy puppy behind the ears, ruffling the soft brown fur. Boney happily yipped and jumped up to lick Lucas’s face. Lucas stood up, nodded to Claus, and then made a headlong dash towards the herd of sheep. Their task was simple: get all the sheep into their pen. They’d done it before, and it was a whole heck of a lot easier with Boney on their side. The pup was part herding dog, and was perfect for the job of corralling the livestock. Lucas and Claus would handle flanking the herd to keep them in line, and Boney would charge from behind, pushing the sheep forwards and into the pen. The three got to work, with Lucas and Claus splitting up and running to either side of the spread out herd. They ran at the sheep, forcing them closer together and into a sort of clump. Boney sat in wait, his tail furiously wagging as he held his position. Claus gave the signal that the sheep were as close as they would get, and Lucas gave a sharp, trilling whistle. Boney’s ears prickled up, and the pup shot forwards, barking at the herd. A few upset complaints from the herd sparked up as they shuffled towards the pen, Boney at their heels. Within minutes, the three had the herd corralled into the pen. Boney pushed the last sheep in and Lucas hastily closed the gate, locking it to make sure it wouldn’t slide open by mistake. Boney wiggled his way underneath the wooden gate, his ears flopping aggressively as he shook grass off his head. The chocolate brown puppy ran off to Flint, playfully growling as he tried to grab the brush out of Flints hand.

“Boney! Stop trying to steal the brush!”

Lucas ran over and lifted Boney into his arms, feeling the puppy wiggle around to try and escape.

“Lucas!! Let me go!! I wanna get brushed, too!”

Boney’s voice echoed in the twins heads, his little barks hidden beneath. Lucas adjusted his grip, scooping the fluffy dog up to better support him. Boney’s tail wagged furiously, his tongue sticking out. Flint chuckled at the sight of Lucas holding the pup, pushing his hat up a bit more.

“I forgot how much fun you three are to have ‘round. Ya’ll are just so darn peppy.”

The twins beamed at the compliment, their smiles lighting up like suns.

“Why don’t ya’ll spend a day with your pops? I actually have the time, so why not?”

Lucas gave Claus an excited look that evoked a spark of nostalgia. He gave a confident smirk in response, glancing up at Flint.

“Absolutely!!”

Flint gave a sharp nod and led the sheep he was tending to into the pen with the rest of the herd. The twins sat down and waited for their father to finish leading the sheep into the pen, watching as Boney did laps around them. When Flint came back, he had 3 horses trailing behind him. Lucas recognized each horse, excitedly running up to them. The chestnut brown horse with the white mane was named Almond, the solid black horse with a reddish-brown mane was named Charcoal, and the white and black speckled horse with a silvery mane was named Dot. Lucas happily ran up to Almond, his personal favorite out of the three, rubbing the horses mane. Claus slowly pulled himself to his feet, walking up to Charcoal, and getting a solid headbutt from the him.

“So, why’d you bring the horses out?”

Claus turned to look at Flint as he attempted to not get knocked over by Charcoal.

“I was thinkin’ we could go horseback riding for a bit. At the very least, I could teach you two.”

He got Almond and Charcoal to stand still so the twins could actually get on, although it was more difficult to keep Charcoal in place than he originally expected, he still managed to pull it off anyway. Once the twins had gotten on their horses, Flint swiftly mounted Dot, taking ahold of her reigns and leading her forwards. The twins slowly managed to follow, Claus succeeding more than Lucas. They all gradually made their way to the forest, sticking to the path so they wouldn’t get lost. Claus stayed by his twin, helping to keep the blonde on track. Claus has ridden chimeras before, and this was no different. In fact, it was exceptionally easier. Chimeras were typically wild, and Claus was lucky if he could stay on one for more than a few seconds. A horse, on the other hand, was simplistic and easy to ride, mainly since they were trained to be content with someone leading them around. He kept quiet for the majority of the ride, focusing on some stray memories that slipped into his mind. Faint glimpses of younger versions of himself and Lucas running through the trees flickered in his vision. However, as the slow trek continued, more and more freakish images danced along his line of sight. Visions of Hinawa, bloodied and torn from the Mecha Drago, along with young versions of himself and Lucas fearfully running for their lives flashed in front of him. He struggled to keep his cool, tightening his grip so his nails dug into his palms. Flint suddenly halted in a clearing, dismounting and tying a rope around the horses neck and attaching it to a tree trunk, loose enough to let it move, but tight enough to keep it from going too far. Lucas and Claus followed, tagging along behind their father. Claus shut his eyes, holding onto his twins hand for guidance, letting darkness engulf his vision for a moment. A few internal clicks in his arm, and a tiny shock struck his right shoulder. He jumped a bit, then relaxed, opening his eyes. Lucas guided him over to a large patch of grass and sat down, letting Claus rest in his lap.

“You feeling ok, Claus?”

The ginger twin slowly nodded, his head lulling against Lucas’s chest.

“Yeah. I’m just... kinda tired. Somethings not right in my circuits...”

Lucas nestled his face in Claus’s hair, pulling Claus closer to him.

“Wanna rest here for a bit?”

Claus nodded slowly.

“Alright. I’ll stay still for you.”

Claus smiled. He arched his back and let his wings unfurl, draping them over himself like a blanket. The two of them sat silently until Claus finally slumped over, fast asleep. Lucas quietly chuckled, lightly ruffling Claus’s hair. Flint glanced over to see the two curled up in the grass.

“Did he fall asleep on you or somethin?”

Lucas gave a small thumbs up, letting out a sigh.

“Yep. He needs the rest. I’ve noticed that he’s been sleeping a lot less lately.”

“Is that so? Any particular reason why?”

Flint adjusted his hat, pushing the brim of it up so he could see Lucas a little better.

“Well, it’s either something in his circuits, or it’s a nightmare. I’m leaning more towards the idea that it’s his circuits, since he mentioned something about it before he fell asleep on me, but who knows? He might be hiding stuff from me again.”

Lucas carefully shifted so he could lift Claus up and onto his back, carrying him towards the horses.

“If he’s gonna sleep, we should head home.”

Flint nodded and walked over to the horses, untying the leads on them. The two got on and began their trip back home.

~~~{+}~~~

_“...”_

_“...”_

_“...hello?”_

_“Where am I? It’s so dark...”_

Claus stood in a black void, staring into absolute nothingness. He had been in this scenario before; a void of darkness that was a semi-lucid dream. He had them more often than he wished he could, and never knew what came out of them. One day it was a strange, twisted version of Lucas, and another it was Hinawa. However, this time, there appeared to be nobody.

_“Looks like I’m alone today. Weird, usually there’s someone around here-“_

_“And there is.”_

Claus whipped around to see a slightly blurry figure standing behind him. He blinked hard and squinted as the figure finally came into focus.

_“W-who are you?”_

_“I’m you.”_

Claus looked confused, tilting his head to the side.

_“How exactly could you be me? I mean, it’s not the strangest thing I’ve heard in a while, but still!”_

The figure chuckled, a slightly sinister grin on his face.

_“I’m the old you. The one you used to call the Masked Man.”_

Claus recoiled back, eyes wide with fear. He went to twist the metal plate that activated his arm cannon, but merely twisted flesh. He glanced down in a panic and found that his right arm wasn’t mechanized, nor was any other part of his body.

_“Don’t start panicking, you’ll only hurt yourself. Since I’ve manifested in your head, you’ll be your normal self. No mechanization, no circuits, only flesh and bone.”_

The Masked Man gestured to his right arm, modeling the fact that it was fully and completely mechanized. Claus could barely make out the faceplate on the left side of the Masked Mans face, and just faintly spotted the red glow of the mechanical eye.

_“So you’re the mechanized half of me.”_

_“Correct.”_

_“W-well, if I may ask, why’d you come here? I’m used to seeing something more... nightmarish.”_

The Masked Man smirked, gesturing to his heart with his left hand.

_“I merely came here because you wanted me to. Subconsciously, you knew something was wrong, and you called me here to try and guide you.”_

The Masked Man stepped forward, standing directly in front of Claus, lifting his chin and leaning in.

_“You’ve forgotten about a simple little thing that must be performed. It’s left you damaged, weak, and exhausted. Those circuits of yours are in desperate need of repair, you know.”_

Claus glanced down at the void beneath his feet, a sense of exhaustion slowly coming over him.

_“So, what do I need to do to fix it?”_

_“Simple: just explain that somethings wrong to the generals at the lab. They’ll know what to do, hopefully.”_

Claus made a mental note of where to go, rubbing his eyes to try and push the sleepiness from them.

_“Aww, are you falling asleep already? It’s only been a few minutes, I thought you had more in you.”_

Claus attempted to force himself to stay more awake, but found it only made him more tired, falling onto the Masked Man.

_“Don’t fight it, you’re not going to get anything out of staying awake any longer. You need the rest. Tomorrow’s gonna be a big day for your new mind. I doubt you’ll even remember the whole procedure...”_

Claus groaned as his head hit the cold metal shoulder of the Masked Man. He was so tired, which was normal when these semi-lucid dreams came to an end, but it was odd that it ended so soon. He slumped over a bit, using the Masked Man for support.

_“You realize I’m going to fade away in a bit, right? I can’t stay here forever.”_

Claus mumbled something to himself, lifting his head from the Masked Mans shoulder. The Masked Man smiled, pale PSI flickering at his fingertips. He lightly tapped Claus on the nose, and Claus was out like a light, falling against the Masked Man. He set Claus down against the blackened void they stood on and let the world fade off into nothingness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still don’t know how to properly end chapters.
> 
> So I’m writing this on the bus ride home from school, which means I won’t be able to start chapter 13 for a little bit. I’ll get started on it as soon as I finish homework and the like.
> 
> A L S O: Please go and check out my askblog! It’s ask-clauslivesau-cuzwhynot on Tumblr! I would love to have another ask!
> 
> See you again soon!


	13. Technical Difficulties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claus gets his mechanizations taken off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI HELLO ITS BEEN A WHILE.
> 
> I got super sidetracked and I am so sorry!
> 
> I almost lost my ability to write for a little bit, but I'm ok now!
> 
> Also, to my ELA teacher: Hi, hello, you're amazing and I absolutely love your class. Thank you for taking time out of your busy life to read my fanfic. You are an amazing person.
> 
> Anyways, onto chapter 13!

Chimera of Light, a Mother 3 fanfic

Chapter 13: Technical Difficulties

Lucas and General Xavix sat in silence outside the maintenance room. Xavix had been getting updates on the situation every few minutes, but refused to say a word about it.

“How’s his condition? ...Mhmm... So he’s stable? ...Ok. No, he’s right here. ...Yes, he’s awake. Alright, let me know if anything else happens.”

Lucas barely kept track of anything Xavix was saying. His thoughts were frantic, riddled with anxiety. He went back over the events prior to now in his head.

The morning had started out fairly normal, but Claus still seemed off when they talked. He explained that he needed to go and talk to the generals at the Chimera Lab about his circuits, and he wanted Lucas to come with just to be safe. Lucas had reluctantly agreed and packed a small backpack for himself. Once the two reached the lab and Claus finished his explanation, the generals let him and Lucas relax in their room. One of the generals came in and gave Claus a small cough medicine cup of red liquid, which he promptly drank. Over the course of an hour, Claus became more numb and sleepy, so much so that he nearly passed out on his way to his bed. The same general from before came in and slowly ushered him to the maintenance room with Lucas in tow. Nothing was explained during the walk, and Lucas was forced to stay outside when they finally got there. Claus had given Lucas a sleepy, reassuring smile before he disappeared into the room, and then Lucas was alone. General Xavix came to keep him company, but he hadn’t bothered to explain anything either. After finally reviewing every last detail, Lucas broke the silence.

“Xavix, what’s happening to Claus? Is... is he ok?”

Xavix turned his attention from his radio to Lucas, who had pulled himself into a ball, his knees tucked to his chest.

“I’m guessing nobody explained?”

Lucas nodded.

“Strange. I thought at least somebody would’ve told you. But it’s fine, I’m happy to explain.”

Xavix tweaked a dial in his helmet, turning the volume of his radio down.

“Yep... nobody told me. Claus said something about needing to come here, but besides that...”

Lucas’s voice trailed off as he buried his face in his knees. Xavix sighed, scooting closer to Lucas.

“Let me get this straight with you, Claus is just fine. He’s not hurt or sick, he just needs repairs. Normally, he comes in for a monthly checkup. We take off all the outer mechanizations - the arm, the whole faceplate, the metal coats, etc, etc - and do extensive repairs and cleaning. He’s left a little crippled, but he’s still able to do everything he once could, it’s just a bit difficult.”

Lucas seemed to loosen up at the idea that Claus wasn’t hurt, his legs untucking.

“S-So he’s ok?!”

Xavix gave a small nod.

“He’s just fine. Of course, he’s going to be horribly sore later, and I doubt he’ll have a reliable energy supply, but he’ll be ok.”

Lucas sighed, a sense of relief hitting him with enough force to make him a little lightheaded. He leaned back against the wall behind him, closing his eyes for a brief moment.

“Ok, that’s a huge relief... but, if you don’t mind me asking, what was that red liquid you gave Claus...?”

Xavix gave a slight nod, shifting his helmet.

“That was a prep anesthetic. Claus can’t handle anesthesia very well anymore, and if we were to give him to normal dose on the spot, he might not wake up. To prevent this, we give him a preparation dose that gets him all ready for the full dose. The dose is far smaller than the normal amount. It makes him drowsy and numbs him up enough to prevent any discomfort. Once the dose has taken effect, we can safely give him the whole dose with no complications.”

He noticed the hint of worry on Lucas’s face and hastily gave a dismissive wave of his hands.

“But! That doesn’t mean anything bad! He can still be under anesthesia, he just needs to take it slower than normal people. I think it has something to do with the mechanizations.”

Lucas loosened up, laying his head in his knees.

“I just hope he’s doing ok...”

~~~{+}~~~

_“Oh, not this again...”_

Claus stood in the void of his mind again, darkness stretching for miles. He looked around, seeing no figure in particular. His body felt stiff, and he noted that he couldn’t move his right arm, despite it being attached to his body. He also noted the fact that his left eye was exceptionally blurry, and that he could barely see out of it.

_“Well, I’ve got half my sight and half my arms. What’s next? Some guy from my subconscious comes to talk to me?”_

_“Funny how you can predict things like that.”_

A masked figure leaned over Claus’s right shoulder. Claus jumped with a yelp, turning to face the figure as he backed away.

_“What the hell are you doing here?! Usually I don’t see a figure more than once...”_

The Masked Man gave a small bow before he gestured to the suddenly filled void behind Claus.

_“I came to keep you company. You’ll be asleep for a while, and I didn’t want you to be lonely.”_

The Masked Man removed his helmet and took Claus’s hand, pulling him along. Claus got a split glimpse of his counterparts face, noticing the gruesome scar that crossed the left eye and the hastily thrown together mechanized arm. As he was pulled around, the void around him faded into a sunflower field. The two ran farther for what felt like forever until the Masked Man finally stopped in front of a river, emerging from the sunflowers, coated with pollen. Claus stepped out behind him, wiping the pollen off his face with his hand.

_“So... why’d we stop?”_

_“Oh, you wanted to keep running?”_

_“N-no! I’m just curious why we’d stop here of all places.”_

The Masked Man chuckled, turning to look at Claus, his horribly scarred eye piercing into Claus.

_“It’s just a little place I grabbed from your memory.”_

Claus rubbed his right shoulder, looking at his reflection in the river.

_“Mind explaining what’s happening to me and why the hell you’re still here?”_

_“Ha! You’re awfully irritated today, aren’t you? You see, you’re getting maintenance done! That arm of yours has to come off to be fixed, and your entire faceplate needs to be cleaned. You’re going to be sore, and probably very sleepy, but that’s fine. As for why I’m still here, I took up residence long ago. You’re mechanization and brainwashing made me, and as long as those mechanical parts remain, I’ll stay right here in your little head.”_

He scoffed, glancing down at his poorly built arm.

_“Maybe, just maybe, I’ll find a way to talk even when you’re conscious! That’d be quite the feat for someone like me! Although I have the feeling I’d drive you to madness with my constant talking.”_

Claus rolled his eyes and fumbled with a pebble by the river, lightly palming it in his hand.

_“Your brainwashing ramblings drove me through the 7th circle of hell 3 times over. I don’t think you’d have the ability to do it again.”_

The Masked Man laughed, taking a seat at the edge of the river. He laid his chin in his hand, staring out at the horizon.

_“You’re underestimating how much of a nuisance I can be.”_

_“I had to deal with you for 3 years, I know how bad you can get.”_

_“No, I could be a whole lot worse if I wanted to be. Porky had control over both of us, so I was forced to do specific things. I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve.”_

_“You’re in my head, therefore, I control you. You can’t do shit.”_

_Claus pointed a finger at his counterparts face, a confident smirk growing on him. He looked back at the horizon, sitting down with a thud._

_“I regret to inform you, but you can only do so much. I’m part of your subconscious, which means you can’t exactly get rid of me.”_

Claus pouted, crossing his arms as best he could. He felt a touch of lightheadedness strike him, making his head tingle. He rubbed his temples, his vision getting progressively brighter. The Masked Man snickered, noticing the increase in light.

_“Looks like you’ve got to go.”_

_“Go.... where?”_

_“Back to the waking world. The procedure must’ve been completed, so they’re waking you up.”_

Claus gave a slight nod, his vision beginning to be blinded by the increasing light. The view of the sunflower field was enveloped in a white glow, fading into a more controlled glow that was shining directly at his face. He barely opened his eyes, a blurry image of the maintenance room coming into focus. He squinted, then shut his eyes as he was briefly blinded, the overhead light above him being shut off. He finally was able to fully open his eyes, taking in the sight of the maintenance room.

“Rise and shine, Commander!”

General Vaessa was leaning over the table Claus was lying on, her helmet hanging off the back of her uniform. Claus let his eyes wander and get him back to reality. He was on a metal surgery table, strapped down at the wrists, ankles, torso, knees, elbows, and loosely around his forehead. He was used to being strapped down, since it was protocol for chimeras, whether they be mechanical or biological. He found that he had nothing strapping his right arm down, and quickly realized that his right arm was entirely missing. His left eye was also missing from his body, and in its place were heavily wrapped bandages and a lone medical eyepatch. He discovered how tired he was when he tried to sit up after his restraints were removed, nearly toppling back over if it weren’t for General Vaessa catching him.

“Whoa, take it easy! You’re not all the way off the anesthetic, and you’re not exactly in prime condition.”

She helped him to his feet, putting an arm around his shoulder for support. An IV drip was hooked up to Claus’s arm, being towed along behind him as he was carefully walked out of the maintenance room. The second he stepped foot outside, Lucas rushed to him, frantically throwing question after question at him.

“Claus!! Are you ok?! What happened in there? I-“

“Lucas... please... I’m fine. I’m just... tired...”

He yawned, rubbing his eye with his left hand. General Vaessa gently ruffled Claus’s hair, giving Lucas a warm smile.

“He’s ok, quit getting yourself all worked up! He needed his mechanizations removed for repairs and cleaning, so he’s kinda crippled! Don’t worry, he’ll be just fine, he just needs to get some rest.”

Lucas relaxed, the tenseness in his body releasing. He cautiously pulled Claus into a hug, laying his head on his twins shoulder.

“I’m glad you’re ok. You had me worried for a while.”

Claus weakly hugged back, exhaustion hitting him like a freight train.

“I need to sit down... can we go to our room...?”

Lucas quickly nodded, stepping on the other side of Claus to help tow his IV drip and support him.

The walk was excruciatingly slow. Granted, Claus couldn’t move very fast, even with help, but his exhaustion didn’t help him move any quicker. He sluggishly trudged through the halls, eventually making it to the room he shared with Lucas, promptly crawling into bed and laying back against the wall of pillows that were haphazardly piled up for him. His head pulsed with a sudden, sharp headache. He silently sighed, closing his eyes in hopes that the pain would go away. Lucas sat down next to him, taking ahold of his hand and slowly emanating PSI for stability. Claus felt his headache slowly begin to diminish, the slow flow of his twins PSI helping to alleviate the pain. He sunk into the pillows and mattress, slipping in and out of consciousness, the faint pulse of PSI lulling his mind into a relaxed state. Lucas lightly shook Claus to keep him awake, leaning over so he could better see him.

“Hey! Don’t go falling asleep! I wanna know what they did!! I mean, I know they needed to clean the parts, but don’t they clean themselves or something?”

Claus sluggishly nodded, groaning as the piercing headache briefly returned.

“They do, but they don’t fully clean themselves... Normally, just bathing takes care of the majority of gunk and grime... but I have to do an annual deep cleaning to prevent infection and buildup... After all, I can’t clean under my faceplate or my arm... and I can only repair so much on my own...”

Claus tapped the mattress with his left hand, his eye drifting up to the soft lights on the ceiling. Lucas sighed, pouting a bit.

“How long is it gonna take? An hour? A day?”

Claus averted his eyes, staring down at the IV band on his wrist, a tinge of pain surfacing under the bandages on his left eye.

“Uh, around a week?”

Lucas’s eyes went wide, his jaw dropping slightly.

“A week?! Claus, how much damage did you do to those things?!”

Claus winced, rubbing the bandaged stump that was his right shoulder.

“It’s not entirely my fault... A chunk of it was from the damage I took under mind control during the final needle battle, and the majority of it came from natural deterioration...”

Lucas cocked his head to the side, confused.

“Uh, natural deterioration? Claus, metal doesn’t deteriorate very fast...”

“Well, it’s not made to be as strong as steel support beams. There’s coatings that protect against water damage, extra layers that are built as cushioning, circuits that are meant to break when hit to prevent large scale damage, and even structural designs built to shatter under certain amounts of damage to stop the important stuff from being broken or damaged... In short, it’s built to sustain heavy damage, but at the cost of frequent repair...”

Lucas groaned, throwing his head back. Claus quietly sighed, relaxing against the mattress, his body sinking down into the fabric.

“So you’re just gonna be lazy and tired this for this whooooole thing?”

“Only for a portion of it, Lucas...

And the only reason I get so tired is because my body isn’t used to the lack of electricity, so it partially shuts down, making me ungodly tired...”

Claus slowly pulled the covers up over himself, sliding farther down into the bed. Lucas noticed his exhaustion and let PSI flicker to his fingertips.

“You look like you need a nap.”

“I do...”

“Want me to help with that?”

“...yeah...”

Lucas made a circular motion with his hand, PSI flashing up in front of Claus in the form of spirals. Claus’s eyelids drooped, the spirals reflecting in his eye as he slid under the effects of PSI Hypnosis. He was quick to drift off, his eye closing and his body going limp as he practically fell into a deep sleep. Lucas got off the bed and sat down next to him in a nearby chair, keeping one hand firmly grasping Claus’s hand. He snuggled up as best he could and let his mind clear itself. Exhaustion from worry soon took over and dragged him into the same sleep Claus fell into, his hand slipping off the bed and down to his side as he slept.

~~~{+}~~~

Claus awoke in his bed, groggy and unbelievably sore. He sluggishly sat up, exhaustion hitting him with the force of a truck. He flopped onto his back, groaning as the soreness in his joints kicked in at full force. He was still missing every mechanical part he was missing before he passed out, and he was hooked up to countless monitors and machines, the majority of which were lodged in his arm. He lifted his wire covered arm and found a collar was carefully attached to his neck, providing small, painless pulses of electricity. He deduced that these pulses were to try and replicate the amount of electricity he needed but currently didn’t have. With a bit of extra willpower, he forced himself to a sitting position, attempting to ignore the searing pain in his head. He carefully examined his left arm, picking out each needle and band and tracing them back to the machine or monitor they came from.

_Heart rate... breathing... pulse... blood pressure... electro pulse rate... does that say “feral level”? Good lord..._

Claus fumbled with the wires on his arm, untangling them with his teeth so he could properly lift it and get a closer look.

“I swear those generals don’t know how to properly attach wires without tangling them...”

A faint grumble alerted him to the person next to him. Lucas sleepily sat up, looking around, realizing that he fell asleep in the chair he was in. Claus glanced at his brother, watching as he stood up and gained a sense of reality.

“Sleep well?”

Lucas jumped, forgetting that Claus was actually awake.

“Oh, uh, yeah! I assume you slept well too?”

Claus nodded, weakly tugging at the mass of wires hooked up to his arm.

“I hope the generals let me go home. I hate being hooked up to all these wires.”

He paused.

“I feel trapped.”

He laid back against the backboard, blankly staring at the wall. Lucas walked over to the monitors, intently examining each one.

“Any idea what all of these do?”

Claus frustratedly tugged harder at the wires, trying to pull them off.

“Somewhat. Most of them are for vitals and such, but some of them are complete gibberish to me, like that one.”

He reached over, halfway off the bed, and barely tapped the closest monitor. He carefully pulled himself back into his bed, sighing.

“Oh, ok.”

There was a soft knock at the door, and General Xavix walked in. Claus could already see the handful of papers behind Xavix’s back, groaning as he realized that he would most likely have to stay for another night.

“Xavix, before you tell me anything, answer me this: Can I go home today?”

Xavix pulled the papers from behind his back and flipped through them. He scanned over a couple of pages and sighed, slowly nodding.

“Yes, you’ll get to go home today. Just make sure to actually rest when you get there.”

Claus pumped his fist into the air, immediately regretting his decision as pain shot through his arm.

“Claus, please be careful. I don’t want to put you back under anesthesia and re-fix that other arm of yours.”

Xavix walked over and examined Claus’s arm, making sure he hadn’t torn off the bandages or broke a wire. He carefully took off each wire and band, applying new ones that were attached to a sort of backpack placed behind Claus. Once the vast array of wires was removed from Claus’s arm, a new set were applied from the backpack, and then the backpack was gingerly strapped to Claus.

“Why do I have to wear a backpack?”

“Because it has a generator built in that gives you the missing boost of electricity you need to function. As long as you have this on, you’ll be fine.”

“Mkay...”

Claus craned his neck to try and see the metal bag, only managing to make out the side of it, which had a huge tube jutting out it, connecting to his upper back. The split second Xavix stepped back from the bed, Claus threw himself off, awkwardly landing on his feet. He stumbled over to Lucas, his joints clicking as he walked. He put a hand on his twins shoulder for support, taking a moment to briefly gain his balance, and then began to shamble out of the room with Lucas by his side.

It took considerably longer to get Claus out of the lab. His still partially numbed body coupled with the exhaustion he was battling slowed progress to a crawl. After a significantly large amount of breaks and walking, he made it to the entrance to the lab. Xavix handed Lucas a bag with everything Claus would need for the week, and then sent them off without another word. Claus had nearly fainted from exhaustion and was struggling to keep on his feet, slumping over while his knees buckled in on themselves. Lucas gripped Claus by the shoulders and forced him back to his feet, gritting his teeth.

“C’mon Claus, we just gotta get home. Stay on your feet, please.”

Claus weakly clambered forwards, his support solely on his twins shoulder. His body ached, muscles screaming at him with every movement. His legs gave one last hurrah as he took a couple more steps, then promptly collapsed, knees fully buckling underneath him. Lucas barely managed to catch the ginger before he hit the dirt.

“Claus! Good lord, do I have to carry you or something?”

Claus nodded slowly.

“Lucas, I can’t feel my legs... I’m sorry, but, I think you might have to...”

Lucas groaned as he lifted his twin up and onto his back, hauling him back towards home. Just minutes into the walk, Claus fell asleep, nestling himself into a semi-comfortable position. Once Lucas had gotten him to the house, he made the decision to wake the ginger up. As much as he appreciated carrying his brother, he wasn’t willing to haul him any farther.

“Claus, wake up! We’re home!”

The ginger stirred, lifting his head off Lucas’s shoulder, slowly sliding off and back onto the floor. He put his only arm around his twins shoulder and trudged forward, making a slow beeline for the bed. Lucas gave him the last bit of support needed to get him there, letting him fend for himself once he reached the bed.

“Thanks, Lucas. Sorry I made you carry me...”

Lucas shrugged it off, waving a dismissive hand.

“Don’t sweat it. Want something to eat?”

Claus shook his head.

“No. They said I can’t eat anything for the next hour or so.”

Lucas watched as Claus clambered into bed, flopping to his side as he somehow pulled himself up onto the mattress. He scooted farther up, and then let himself go limp, groaning as his muscles flared with pain. Lucas sat down on the edge of the bed, then reluctantly climbed in, settling down next to his twin.

“I assume you’re gonna sleep?”

“Mhmm.”

“I’ll sleep along with you. Dad won’t be home until late, and I have nothing better to do, so...”

The twins instinctively intertwined themselves as they drifted off, carefully snuggling up to one another as sleep quickly took ahold of them, luring them away from reality and deep into dreams.

~~~{+}~~~

“Can someone explain to me why Claus is missing his whole faceplate?”

Kumatora was standing in front of the bed the twins shared, almost nose to nose with Claus. Lucas sighed, grabbing a change of bandages and tossing them to the ginger twin.

“Well, see-“

“Every month or so I have to get my mechanizations cleaned, which results in me looking like this for a week.”

Kumatora leaned back, shoving her hands into her hoodie pockets. She scanned Claus with her eyes, picking apart every detail.

“So... is like, the whole faceplate just gone?”

“Yep. Wanna see? I gotta change the bandages anyway.”

Kumatora and Lucas shot each other a nervous look. Claus snickered as he untied the knot on the back of his head.

“Uh... isn’t it just skin underneath?”

“Nope.”

Claus was already unwrapping the bandages, exposing red flesh beneath the bandaging. The more he unwrapped the bandages, the more nervous Kumatora and Lucas became, until Claus had fully removed the wraps, revealing a grotesque amount of red muscle and tissue. His eye socket was empty, leaving only the muscle and tissue in its place. Lucas recoiled and hastily threw his hands over his eyes.

“CLAUS OH MY GOD!!”

Claus held back a snort as his twin cowered at the sight of his face.

“Heh, freaky, isn’t it? There’s no skin under that faceplate, only fleshy tissue.”

Kumatora leaned in again to get a closer view of his face, squinting.

“Can... can you blink?”

Claus smirked and blinked, the left side of his face blinking along with. Kumatora shrieked and backed up, clearly shocked and surprised.

“THAT SHOULDN’T BE POSSIBLE DUSTER DID YOU SEE THAT?!”

Claus was failing to hold back his laughter, leaned back on his only arm for support. Duster peered over from the kitchen, a frying pan in hand.

“I didn’t. What did he do?”

“HE BLINKED WITH THE LEFT SIDE OF HIS FACE AND ITS TERRIFYING!!”

Claus leaned over making eye contact with Duster, and blinked again, witnessing Duster express visible disgust and concern.

“Oh lord... That... really shouldn’t be possible. Are you sure you should be doing that?”

“I mean, it’s not gonna kill me, but it kinda hurts, so I guess I shouldn’t.”

_“Of course you shouldn’t. It’s not good for you, you know.”_

Claus jolted, whipping around to try and pinpoint the voice. Lucas set a gentle hand on his shoulder, gaining his attention.

“You ok?”

Claus hesitantly nodded.

“Y-Yeah... did you hear a voice at all?”

“No, why?”

“No reason in particular...”

It took Claus a moment to realize the voice wasn’t spoken aloud, but rather, was in his head. He slouched, shutting his eye and focusing on the voice he had heard.

_“Who the hell just spoke to me?”_

_“Ah, so you DID hear me! Wonderful! It seems my lovely voice finally reached you subconscious ears!”_

_“I’m sorry?”_

_“Goodness, have you forgotten already? It’s me, the Masked Man. The one you positively DESPISE. I thought I’d try and get back my place in your head, but don’t worry! I have no intention of brainwashing you. I merely want my spot on that sorry excuse of a mind back.”_

Claus felt a twinge of anger click in his head. He faintly felt his fist tighten, knuckles turning white.

_“I never gave you permission to invade my head, jerk.”_

_“But you can’t control that, can you?”_

_“I can try.”_

_“No, you can’t. It’s one of those ‘out-of-your-complete-and-total-control’ sorts of things.”_

A pause.

_“Oh! Think fast!”_

Claus opened his eyes to see Lucas running towards him, prepared to jump. Claus hurriedly put his arm out to slow Lucas down, which resulted in the blonde crashing into him, tumbling onto the bed.

“What was that for?!”

Claus pushed Lucas off with surprising strength, rubbing his palm on his leg.

“You spaced out and Duster was trying to ask you a question!”

“And that warrants you to leap into your crippled brother?”

“Well no, but you didn’t respond after I shoved you, so I thought it would be the second best option.”

“Ok, whatever, what was the question you were trying to ask?”

He leaned to the side to peer over Lucas, barely able to see Duster.

“Are you hungry? I’ve just about finished making lunch.”

Claus gave a small nod, visible enough for Duster to notice, giving a hum in response. Claus grabbed the roll of bandages he had, pulled a ribbon of them off the roll and began wrapping it around the left side of his head, carefully avoiding his ear. He shut his eye, letting muscle memory do the movements for him, focusing his thoughts on other matters. Within a minute, he’d fully wrapped his exposed flesh with bandage and slipped a medical eyepatch over the spot where the eye socket should’ve been. Cautiously, he eased himself out of bed, wincing as pain shot through his legs, and shambled over to the table, slumping over once he reached the chair.

“Man, you wouldn’t think a simple walk from my bed to the table would be exhausting, but I am ready to sleep right here...”

Lucas scooted in next to him, ruffling the ginger twins hair.

“Don’t worry! Once you eat something, I’m sure you’ll feel much better!”

Claus gave a weak nod, the scent of omelets hitting his senses as a plate was set in front of him. He could already taste the meal he was about to eat, his lips curving into a smile, mouth watering. His gaze drifted down to his plate to find a perfectly cooked omelet, topped with a heart shaped sketch made out of ketchup. Claus’s head lulled into his hand, a prominent memory of when he was a child surfacing.

_“Momma! Momma! Whatcha making?”_

_Claus tugged at his mothers dress, hopping to try and see what she was making. Hinawa merely pet her sons head, running her fingers through his hair._

_“I’m trying something new for both of you. I can’t say what it is quite yet!”_

_She smiled, ruffling Claus’s hair._

_“But moooooom! I wanna know!”_

_He whined, tugging at his mothers dress a little harder._

_“Claus, its a surprise! You don’t want to spoil it for yourself or Lucas, right?”_

_Claus perked up, letting go of Hinawas dress. He gave her a hug and ran off to play with Lucas. Hinawa smiled, watching Claus joyfully leap onto Lucas. She heard the door creak open and silently shut, a figure walking into the home._

_“Hinawa, you almost done?”_

_She glanced behind her to see Flint standing over her shoulder, his hat in hand._

_“Just about! I thought I’d try something new for the twins.”_

_Flint smiled upon seeing the dish Hinawa had cooked, giving her a kiss on the cheek._

_“Let’s just hope they actually try it n’ aren’t stubborn mules like last time.”_

_Hinawa hummed in response, grabbing a set of plates and dishing out the omelets she made before setting it on the table._

_“Lucas! Claus! Dinners ready!”_

_Excited shouts from the twins and thundering footsteps signaled their arrival. They sprinted to their seats, their 3 year old legs propelling them at a speed neither Flint nor Hinawa expected to see. The two exchanged a surprised glance before taking their seats. It only took a moment for the twins to realize what was on their plate, and it didn’t go as Hinawa had wanted. Claus pushed his plate away, crossed his arms, and sat back in his chair, adamant on not trying a single bite. Lucas, on the other hand, didn’t seem to outright refuse to eat it, but seemed rather nervous to try it._

_“I’m not eating it.”_

_Claus turned his head up and away from the table, shutting his eyes to avoid the disapproving stare from his father._

_“Claus, just try a bite!”_

_“No!”_

_Hinawa sighed, her gaze wandering over to Lucas, who was quietly staring down at his shoes._

_“Lucas, can you try some for me?”_

_Lucas perked up, nervously looking from his mother to his shoes._

_“U-uh... I-I don’t know...”_

_Hinawa cut a piece off her omelet, taking a bite. She gingerly pointed to Lucas’s plate with her fork, giving him a warm smile._

_“C’mon! Just one bite!”_

_Lucas reluctantly cut a small piece off his omelet, quietly eating it. His eyes widened, sparkling with sudden delight._

_“Whoooaa!! It’s so good!!”_

_An ecstatic grin spread on Lucas’s face as he took another bite, his cheeks gaining a faint pink glow. He looked over at Claus, pushing his twins plate closer to them._

_“Claus! You GOTTA try it! It’s soooooooo good!!”_

_The ginger twin opened an eye, his expression softening when he caught sight of his overjoyed brother._

_“Nooooo...”_

_Lucas poked at his twins cheek, pushing the thought of trying the omelet onto him._

_“Please?”_

_“Noooooo!”_

_“Pretty please?”_

_Lucas gave him the sweetest little puppy eyes he could muster, forcing Claus to soften up and give in._

_“Fine, just no more puppy eyes.”_

_Lucas perked up, a peppy grin on his face. Claus cut a piece off a shoved it into his mouth. It tasted wonderful. The eggs were fluffy and well seasoned, the hint of ketchup he snagged in the bite only adding to how delicious it was. His face turned a hint of red when he noticed how much he liked it, and turned even redder when he took in the fact that he put up such a fight._

_“I take it you like it?”_

_Claus silently devoured another mouthful, unable to hold back a smile. Lucas laughed, leaning back into his chair, an adorable grin on his face._

“Claus?”

“Claus!”

“Claus snap out of it! Your omelets gonna get cold!”

In a split second, Claus jumped, his plate slightly clattering as he moved.

“Whoa, you ok?”

Kumatora was leaned over, washing dishes, when she spoke.

“Uh, I think? I just sat up a little fast.”

Claus slumped over, cutting a chunk off his omelet and cramming it into his mouth. Lucas scooted his chair closer to Claus, resting his head on Claus’s shoulder.

“You’ve been spacing out more than normal. You sure you ok?”

Claus lifted his twins head up just a bit, shifted, then let it gently land back on his shoulder.

“Yep. Just thinking about stuff.”

Lucas groaned, pushing against Claus, who leaned away for a moment.

“Watch the neck, it’s still sore.”

The blonde uttered a quiet “sorry” and got comfortable, settling himself against his brother. Claus let the outside world fade as he finished eating, his mind sinking into the deeper reaches of his subconscious, picking apart the past day bit by bit. It clicked together like a jigsaw puzzle, each new piece making more sense than the last, until the full image came together. It was blurry, but the image in his memory was clear enough. He called it a day let his head wander into a soothing daydream.

~~~{+}~~~

“Alright Claus, you’re all set!”

Claus sat up, pain no longer rushing to his head as he did so, and stared down at his arm. He blinked hard, realizing he could finally see out of both eyes again. His arm was actually attached to his body, despite not being able to move yet, but it was attached none the less. He felt energized, revitalized, and positively overjoyed to be back to normal.

The past week had been a blur. It started with horrible amounts of pain and exhaustion that left him bedridden for at least 2 days, and gradually became more of an endurable experience. The pain dulled and lessened to a faint sting, and his exhaustion turned to a sustainable amount of energy that could last him a full day with a nap in between. Aside from being sore, the last few days were tolerable. He was almost ecstatic to get his mechanizations back, something he never thought he’d think of in his life. He heard the soft click of the port in his neck, and was bombarded by a wave of electricity. His body stiffened as the shock coursed through him, sending wave after wave of pain. Finally, the shocks died down, letting him breathe. He relaxed, resting against General Vaessa, his body slightly twitching.

“Thanks, Vaessa... Sorry I was so fidgety during the procedure.”

Vaessa fluffed Claus’s hair up, giving him a gentle hug.

“Aw, you’re welcome! Just doin’ my job!”

Claus gave a small smile and shifted off of Vaessa, giving his right arm a quick test run to make sure it worked well. The gears whirred to life, clicking and rotating to give power to his circuits. The process was slow, which meant he’d be stuck there for a bit until the it fully regained power.

_“It feels nice to hear that rhythmic clicking of the gears, doesn’t it?”_

Claus silently groaned, the sing-song voice of his masked counterpart rang in his head. He heard the low, sarcastic laughter and held back the driving urge to knock himself out just to punch his masked self.

_“You just never shut up, do you?”_

_“You’re one to talk. I went silent for months!”_

_"Oh, can it, wise guy! I swear, all you've done is make my life a living hell!"_

_"You're just mad because I actually help you. Sure, you may hate me now, but I promise you this: you'll enjoy my company someday."_

The voice faded from Claus's mind, leaving him confused and a little on edge. A light tap on his shoulder made him jump, twisting to see General Vaessa leaning over him.

"You ok?"

"Mhmm."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so tired...
> 
> I'll start on chapter 14 ASAP, just give me a little bit...
> 
> See you again soon!


	14. Psionic Powers and Psychokinesis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins get in too deep when they try to explore some old ruins. An argument breaks out, memories are shared, and the kiddos gain some new powers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO THIS TOOK A WHILE.
> 
> So I'm chugging water in a panic as I'm writing this because AO3 has server problems (as of this morning) and I need to bust this chapter out before the servers die again.
> 
> Also I have a surprise planned for chapter 15. A tidbit more on that in the end notes.
> 
> For now, enjoy chapter 14!

Chimera of light, a Mother 3 fanfic

Chapter 14: Psionic Powers and Psychokinesis

Soft light shone on Claus’s fingertips, giving the room a faint glow. He dropped his backpack on the floor and searched for some form of light switch.

“I should’ve grabbed a lantern before we came here.”

He grabbed a handful of candles on the table and set them around the room to maximize light, igniting the tips of each candle. An overpowering mix of cologne and perfume hit Claus’s senses, sending him into a coughing fit. He rushed to the door and swung it open, taking a deep breath of the swampy air.

“You ok over there?”

Lucas was picking small berries off nearby bushes and setting them in a handwoven basket. Claus walked away from the door and wiped his mouth, gagging.

“How much perfume and cologne did the Magypsies even use?!”

“What, did you light every candle in there or something?”

“YES.”

“Then that’d be why it smells so bad. There’s a pack of regular, unscented candles in one of the drawers. Let the room air out and I’ll help you find them.”

Claus gave a small nod, opening his wings as he let himself fall back onto the grass. Earlier that morning, the two of them had decided to have a little adventure on Tanetane Island. They opted to use the pink shell house the Magypsies lived in as a campsite, mostly because it was a stable shelter, but also because it wasn’t exactly easy to find. Rumors told of ancient ruins hidden near the shell, and Claus was confident he would find said ruins. He never traveled alone, and convinced Lucas to come along with, his only motive being to make sure Claus didn’t try anything he’d regret.

“So, any plans to steal stuff in these ruins?”

“And who gave you that permission?”

“Me.”

“That doesn’t count.”

“IT ABSOLUTELY DOES!!”

Claus gave him a playful shove, snickering. It was nice to finally spend quality time with his twin. The duties at the Chimera Lab and his mechanizations made spending big days with Lucas all the more difficult, so it was nice to finally get a day or two off.

“Alright, I’m gonna see if that thing aired out yet.”

Claus walked back to the pink shell, relief washing over him as he walked in, the pungent scent of perfumes and cologne having dissipated.

“Hey Lucas! It’s all clear!”

“Kay! Be there in a sec!”

Lucas hopped to his feet, basket in hand, and skipped to the shell. He set the basket on the floor, digging through his pockets for a heart shaped key.

“Why the key?”

Claus pushed himself over his twins shoulder, his chin resting on his shoulder blade.

“The Magypsies kept their stuff under lock and key after they realized we were pulling the needles. Fassad, who was a Magypsy, had all the keys, oddly enough. Duster snagged them in our previous battle with him.”

Lucas casually unlocked a drawer and pulled it open, grabbing a handful of candles and laying them out around the room.

“You can go ahead and light those if you want.”

Claus nodded and snapped his fingers, his mechanized arm clicking and shifting. His right index finger opened up, revealing a small lighter, already supporting a tiny flame. He walked to each candle, tapped his finger against the tip, and they ignited one by one. After he lit the last candle, his arm shifted back to normal, his finger closing up.

“So if you don’t mind me asking, what exactly happened with those weird mushrooms you took? Like, I remember Porky telling me to not touch those, and I’m guessing it was for good reason?”

Lucas frowned, throwing his backpack off to the side.

“It was... terrifying, to say the least. Those things bring out your worst fears and causes them to materialize in the form of hallucinations. The world looked freakishly distorted, and any time I saw you or dad, you didn’t look right. Maybe your expression was just a little too excited, or your movements were too fluid, or you felt unnatural. Dad wasn’t as terrifying, since it was trauma from when I was younger, but it was still freaky to see all of that...”

His voice trailed off for a moment before he cleared his throat, sighing.

“We were lucky that we didn’t eat more than a few. Just a single bite can cause horrifying sights like the ones I saw, but taking too many could’ve killed us. Porky, as much as I hate him, had good reason to stop you from even going near those.”

Claus shivered at the thought of his brother dying from the mushrooms that gave him more trauma than Claus could imagine.

“Jeez... I never knew it was that bad.”

“It’s fine. You ask me something like this before you somehow survived and I think I’d start crying.”

Claus realized he hadn’t seen Lucas cry in a long while, the previous time being when he left home for longer than he said he would. It brought a smile to his face, knowing how much his brother had grown since they were little.

“Alright, I’ve got my stuff, you all set to go?”

Lucas turned and hesitantly nodded.

“Yeah, uh, one sec.”

He grabbed the backpack he had thrown on the floor and pulled it on. Claus grabbed his and tossed it over his shoulder, a confident grin plastered on his face. He took ahold of his twins hand and sprinted out the door, Lucas frantically trying to keep up.

~~~{+}~~~

The ruins were a maze of complex corridors that wrapped around each other like vines. Passageways were narrow, only big enough for each twin to barely squeeze through, and even then, they had to move single file. The lengthy, tight maze led to a massive chamber with an elegant statue in the middle. The twins were awestruck, eyes wide with amazement as they took in the sights. Claus was instantly drawn to the statue in the center. Something in his gut told him it was special in a way he couldn’t imagine, yet a little voice in his head urged him to leave it alone.

_“Claus, don’t you dare touch that thing.”_

The Masked Man’s voice echoed in his mind. He tried to push him away, but he was going to take more than just ignoring him to make him go away.

_“Claus, I’m serious. Don’t touch it.”_

Claus walked closer and closer, his mechanized arm reaching out to touch it.

_“Don’t. Touch. It.”_

He edged even closer, his fingers mere inches away from the statue.

_“I said don’t fucking touch it!”_

His metal fingers made contact, a rush of unidentifiable emotions hitting him. PSI flickered around his hand, swirling faster and faster, more and more violently, before it burst out and whipped around the room, smashing into walls with enough force to leave sizable indents. The statue cracked, splintered, and shattered, the fragments whizzing into and around Claus. He yelped and threw his arms up to protect his face, shards of the statue piercing his fleshy arm. Lucas dropped to the floor and a shield formed over his body, stopping any of the shards before they could hit him. The PSI began to slow and take shape, forming into 5 massive orbs that disappeared around the room, 4 of which entered doors and 1 that merged with the pedestal the statue sat on. Claus lowered his arms, wincing as the shards dug slightly deeper, blood trickling down and onto the stone floor.

_“You’re a lot dumber than you look, you know that?”_

Claus bit his lip in anger, the little voice in his head clicking their tongue in annoyance. His eye whirred silently, a small reticle appearing in the pupil.

_“No, I just have curiosity. I didn’t know it was going to EXPLODE AND CAUSE THAT BIG OF A MESS!”_

Another click of the tongue only infuriated Claus more. He heard a soft chuckle, the mocking tone of his mental counterparts voice only adding to his rage.

_“Yet I told you not to touch that, and it’s quite clear that you shouldn’t touch it, and you refused to listen. Don’t be mad at me, be mad at yourself.”_

Claus felt his anger fizz over as the voice disappeared, the reticle in his eye fading away. Lucas walked over, brushing himself off.

“You ok?”

Claus snapped to his brother, nodding. He relaxed and began pulling shard after shard of stone out of his arm, tossing each piece aside.

“Yeah, I’m alright. What the heck happened, though?”

Claus winced as a particularly deep shard was forcefully yanked out, blood slowly dripping off his arm. He let PSI flow to his fingertips, lightly touching them to the cuts, silently watching them close up, leaving just a faintly discolored line in its place. Lucas glanced around, nervously fumbling with the strap to his backpack. The aura of the place was uneasy and unsettling, a suffocating amount of PSI lingering in the air.

“I have no idea, but whatever it was, it wasn’t good.”

Claus could sense the mild annoyance and anger emanating off his brothers PSI. He scoffed, shoving himself to his feet.

“Look, I get it! I’m a dumbass who can’t keep his hands out of trouble!”

Lucas groaned and put his fingers to his temples, realizing that his PSI gave his silent internal turmoil away.

“You’re not a dumbass, but you don’t know how to stay out of trouble! Absolutely! You can’t stay away from something problematic for more than a second, and you haven’t gotten any better about it either!”

Lucas realized he struck a nerve all too late, as Claus balled his hands into fists, the pupil of his left eye gaining its signature reticle. Lucas frantically tried to apologize, but was quickly interrupted by Claus shouting.

“Y’know what? You haven’t gotten any better at being a crybaby! I bet you still cry about the stupidest little things like you used to!”

The insult stung, but Lucas took it. He had gotten fairly used to being called a crybaby, but it still hurt a little to be insulted like that. He knew Claus was trying to strike a nerve in return, and that his anger had gotten the better of him. Claus gave him a weak shove before storming off into one of the doors around the chamber.

“Claus, please! I’m sorry! I just-“

He was gone. Lucas sighed in defeat, sitting down on the cold stone floor and resting the back of his head on the pedestal the statue once sat on. He knew he was going to say something he’d regret, he always did. He was raised to be honest, maybe even a little too honest. He thought about going after Claus to apologize, but he knew he wouldn’t catch up to him at this rate.

_He’s probably in some corner sulking..._

Lucas slammed his head into his knees, groaning. He tried to think about how he could resolve the issue, but he couldn’t find a single solution. Usually, Flint would be there to resolve the issue, and if they were with friends, Duster would resolve it. Now, it was just up to Lucas to find a way to fix this. A distant roar invoked a new sense of fear in the blonde twin, his eyes going wide. He scrambled to his feet and tried to pinpoint the sound, straining his ears in desperation. Another roar, much closer now, gave Lucas all the more reason to panic. He knew where the sound was, and he made a break for it, dashing through the same door Claus had stormed off into mere minutes ago. He slowed his sprint to a brisk walk, sharply turning to try and spot any sudden noise. His walk ended when he stepped foot into a room chock full of metal weapons and armor. Claus was tracing shapes in a patch of dirt with a small dagger, his expression still showing signs of anger. Lucas cautiously walked closer to his still aggravated brother, slowly reaching out a tentative hand.

“The hell do you want? Come to strike a nerve again?”

Claus’s tone was harsh and bitter, leaving a painful sting of guilt in Lucas. He knelt down and lowered his head, taking a deep breath.

“Listen, I’m sorry I yelled like that. I just-“

“And I don’t wanna hear it.”

Claus sneered and jammed the dagger into the dirt, making sure it stuck and stayed upright when he let go. Lucas sighed quietly, his mind swimming in any possible solutions he could think of. He noticed how difficult it had become to keep a clear head and got up to leave the room when the door suddenly shut, leaving an uneasy feeling with it. He silently shook his head and walked towards the closed door, attempting to find a way out. A shadow crept over him, darkening his view for a brief moment. He turned, thinking Claus was attempting to scare him, but found a titan looming over him. The titan swung and nailed him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him and sending him soaring into the opposite wall. Claus snapped to his feet when he heard the impact and found Lucas on the ground, still as a stone, and seemingly unconscious.

“LUCAS!”

He rushed to his brother, narrowly missing the fist of the titan. His mind raced with panic and desperation, and he grabbed a rusty old shield off the ground. With what little PSI he could muster, he formed a fragile shield around himself, ever so slightly buffing the rusty one he held. The titan took another swing and shattered the shield of PSI Claus had thrown up, and was closing in on him. He switched hands, the metal shield in his right and his left arm up to protect his face if he got hit. Another swing, and the shield instantly shattered, fragments sticking into his arms and legs as they were forced back at him. He bit back a cry of pain, the clamps in his right arm straining to keep his arm from being torn straight off. His right arm had a sizable dent in it from the blow, and Claus knew it wouldn’t be able to stand up to a blow from a beast like this. Desperation overcame him, turning his body numb. He threw up his arms to protect himself, knowing all too well that they’d do nothing to soften the oncoming blow. Tears rolled down his cheek, flowing out of fear for what was to come. Time seemed to slow as he awaited the blow from the beast, but it never came.

Instead, a burst of energy swelled up in his heart, giving him a reason to fight back. The energy swirled and filled his numb body with a tingling sensation. It was familiar, recognizable, almost nostalgic. He shut his eyes and grasped the feeling as best he could, focusing on it, the same way he did when he had pulled the needles or prepared to learn new PSI. He focused as hard as he could, fully grasping the sensations that flooded his body. It started out as a fuzzy feeling, the feeling that every new form of PSI gave off, but it became malleable and controllable. He pulled and pressed it into what he felt was right; a sheet of pure PSI. It felt firm, dense, like a protective shield, and the more he channeled his energy, the safer it felt to be behind this sheet of PSI. It slowly dawned that the PSI had begun to manifest into something else, something metallic. The sheet he had made slowly broke apart into fragments, shifting and changing the shape of the sheet until he could find something that fit. Relief hit him when the satisfying click of completion echoed in his ears, the fragments having fit together perfectly to create a new shield. He hesitantly opened his eyes and found a shield of PSI infused metal surrounding him and his brother, safely encapsulating them. He could hear the titan pounding against the shield, barely even leaving a dent in it. Claus channeled his PSI as far as he could, the shards clicking and twisting so the points on them faced outwards. The titan moved to punch, and Claus forced the shield in the opposing direction of the punch, knocking the titan backwards, shattering it. Claus watched the fragments of the titan land in a shower of stone and metal around him. He felt lightheaded, his knees buckling beneath him. In a split second thought process, he stumbled to his brother, pulling him into his arms. He could hardly muster up any PSI to heal the crushing wound on Lucas. Cuts littered his body around where fragments and sharp bits of stone from the walls and titan had hit him, a bruise had already begun to form on his chest where he took the blow, and blood trickled out of his nose. Claus strained out a weak pulse of Lifeup, forcing every last drop of his power into the healing process. Cuts began to close, tendrils of flesh sticking to the opposite sides of the each cut, pulling the skin closer and closer. The bruise lightened, changing from a sickening purple to a discolored tan, and the blood stopped trickling down his brothers face, drying and darkening to a deep crimson. His power, however, quickly faded. It barely lasted for more than a few seconds, pathetically fading away after a moment or two. Claus frantically tried to force out more PSI, but only gave himself a splitting headache, wincing as pain shot through his head. His heart skipped a couple beats when he couldn’t find his twins pulse, terror forming in his eyes. He pulled Lucas into a tight hug, his face nestled in the crook of his twins neck. Tears flooded his eyes, trickling down his cheeks and staining his twin’s shirt.

“No no no no- Lucas, please wake up! I don’t wanna lose you!”

Claus buried his face deeper in his brother’s neck, sobbing. He didn’t want to lose him. He knew how hard it was to nearly lose him whilst he was under brainwashing, and he was starting to gain those same feelings and sensations. A shift in the weight in his arms gave him a sudden burst of hope. A hand slowly stroked his hair, reassuring him. He leaned back, and found Lucas to be conscious, staring back at him.

“LUCAS!”

Claus buried his face in his twins collarbone, sobbing in a mix of prior sadness and indescribable joy. Lucas hugged him in response, playing with his twin’s hair to try and comfort him.

“Hey, calm down, I’m ok. I’m alive and well, so please don’t cry.”

Claus stifled his tears, his breath hitching every now and again. Lucas nuzzled his brother’s face, smiling.

“I’m just... s-so relieved...”

He gave a weak smile, wiping the tears from his face with his hand. He looked down his arms and noticed the severity of his own injuries. He grimaced, finding a particularly deep cut with a fragment of stone lodged in it. Lucas lightly touched his fingers to the wound, frowning.

“Jeez, that looks bad. Here, I can help.”

A flicker of PSI and Lifeup sparked at his fingertips. He merely tapped the wounds along Claus’s body and the PSI gushed out, spilling over the ginger twins body. The shards lodged in the cuts dissolved on sight, turning into little particles of PSI before they disappeared. Cuts closed faster than Claus could keep track of, turning into faint line scars right before his eyes. He looked up and saw the injuries on Lucas perfectly healing up along with. In seconds, the two looked almost completely unharmed, spare for the occasional unhealed bruise or cut. Claus breathed a sigh of relief, turning and falling back into his twins lap.

“I’m, uh... I’m sorry I said all those things earlier. I was angry and too much was on my nerves already, and I just got provoked.”

Lucas smiled in response, waving a dismissive hand.

“Hey, I’m sorry too. We both didn’t mean all that.”

He extended a pinky, gesturing for Claus to do the same.

“Pinky of forgiveness?”

Claus snickered, extending his pinky and linking it with Lucas’s.

“Pinky of forgiveness.”

The two laughed, a moment of relief easing the tension of the room, but it was brief. The tension quickly returned and it wasn’t helped by anything the two could think of.

“So, how’d you even keep us both alive? That thing would’ve easily crushed your arm, and our PSI was pretty weak...”

Claus lifted up his mechanized arm, which had a slight bend in it from the recoil in his shield, but it was otherwise in tact. Lucas leaned in, a concerned expression on his face.

“I don’t know... I kinda realized I was done for and I guess PSI just kinda, I don’t know, manifested? Like, one moment my life’s flashing before my eyes, and the next there’s a giant metal shield in front of me.”

He tried to muster up the PSI he used in desperation, but nothing more than an orange spark flung off his fingers. He frowned, attempting once more only to receive the same result. With a sigh, he pushed himself off his brother’s lap and onto his feet.

“Well, now that we got all that out of the way, why don’t we go explore? I promise I’ll stay out of trouble!”

He gave Lucas what had been lovingly nicknamed ‘angel eyes’, coined by Lucas as the eyes Claus would give him when he’d attempt to be on his best behavior. Truth be told, Lucas knew Claus never kept a promise like that. He was too chaotic, as Lucas liked to put it. He rolled his eyes and got up, dusting himself off. The two linked hands and walked out of the room, the door finally open. Along the walk, they discussed joyful things to help lighten the gloomy mood of the place. Their discussion went from odd facts about their adventures to adorable memories of their childhood.

“Man, I remember back when we first got Boney. He was so small!”

Claus lined his hand up with his ankle to demonstrate how small. A very clear memory surfaced in their minds, drawing their attention away from reality.

_Claus ran after Lucas with a handmade wooden sword, a blanket tied around his neck. He shouted his best battle cry, which sounded more like a voice crack than a war cry, and charged, tackling the blonde to the ground._

_“Ha! Prince Claus wins again!”_

_Claus triumphantly pointed his sword to the sky, a confident smirk on his face. Lucas pouted, crossing his arms._

_“You always win! Let me win just once!”_

_Claus leaned in and poked his twin’s cheek, snickering._

_“Eh, maybe later. It IS our birthday after all!”_

_Lucas nodded in response, pushing Claus off and laughing. A shadow formed over them and their attention shot to behind them, where Flint stood, holding a white box._

_“DAD!”_

_The two shouted in unison and lunged into a hug, nearly knocking the box right out of his hands. With a free hand, he returned the hug._

_“Where’d you go? What’s in the box? Is it for us?”_

_He nodded, motioning for Hinawa to come over._

_“Me n’ your mother decided to get one last present for you two.”_

_He set the box down in front of them, taking a step back. Hinawa knelt down by the box, straightening her dress, and motioned to the lid, which was merely placed atop the box._

_“I want both of you to open it together, since it’s for both of you.”_

_The twins looked at each other eagerly, delight sparkling in their eyes. They grabbed one side of the lid and pulled it off. They peered into the open box, nearly shaking with anticipation. Inside was a slew of wadded up blankets, and atop the blankets was a tiny brown blob that squirmed and whined. Lucas gently lifted it out and his eyes went wide with joy. In his hands was a tiny brown puppy, no more than a month or two old. It made the cutest of yips and nuzzled it’s snout against Lucas’s hand. Tears of joy welled up in the blonde’s baby blue eyes. He looked up at Hinawa, cradling the puppy._

_“Is... is the puppy ours?”_

_She nodded._

_“Really?!”_

_She nodded again. Claus excitedly reached for the puppy, a huge grin on his face._

_“I wanna hold him! Can I? Pretty please?”_

_Lucas carefully handed the puppy to Claus, making sure he didn’t hurt it._

_“Be careful with it! I don’t want it getting hurt.”_

_Claus nodded and cradled the tiny puppy. It squirmed and rolled around, making little whines and whimpers every couple seconds. The twins were enthralled by the little puppy, so much so that they nearly forgot to give it a name._

_“Wait, we need to give him a name. How about... Boney!”_

_Lucas nodded peppily in agreement, joyously smiling._

_“Yeah! Boney sounds like a perfect name!”_

_Hinawa smiled lovingly, the sight of her two sons being happy practically lighting up the world around her._

_“Well, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, who wants some birthday omelets?”_

_The twins joyfully ran into the house, carefully carrying Boney along with. Hinawa looked at Flint, a warm smile on her face._

The world faded back to reality, and the two had come to a standstill in the main chamber. Lucas subconsciously stepped forwards and towards one of the rooms, dragging Claus behind him.

“Hey, where are we going?”

Lucas snapped out of his slight daze and turned his head to see Claus, noticing the minor concern on his face.

“You wanted to explore, so I’m walking us to the next room.”

Claus made a little ‘oh’ face and picked up his pace to walk alongside his twin. Their footsteps echoed softly throughout the narrow hallways, muffling odd creaks and rumbles the tunnels made. They stepped through a nearly carved archway and into a large room covered with ancient carvings. Claus released his brothers hand and wandered over to a wall with particularly intricate carvings, lightly tracing his fingers over it.

_“Interesting. They tell of the old legends of this world. From the White Ship to the prophecy of rebirth. Fascinating how old these carvings really are.”_

That signature voice rang like a bell in his mind, sparking a sliver of unease. He silently sighed, tapping his left hand against his leg to prevent his slight unease from turning into anger.

_“Is that so?”_

_“Mhmm. Oh, have I struck another nerve? You seem awfully tense, you know. Maybe you could loosen up a little?”_

_“Maybe you could stop hanging around in my head? You’re really starting to piss me off.”_

_“Aww, you know you love me.”_

Claus tuned out the sing-song commentary of his alter ego and began scanning each carving to decipher them. Very quickly, the voice in his head grew louder and more frantic, a level of panic emerging.

_“Hey, you might wanna move.”_

_“I think I’m fine where I am.”_

_“No, this isn’t a question of if you want to or not, it’s a serious request.”_

_“I’m not moving!”_

_“THEN LOOK THE FUCK OUT!”_

Claus turned and narrowly avoided getting cracked over the head by a feathered arm. He backed up right as a second swing grazed his hair. In front of him stood a feathered beast that was just a few inches taller than him, but was still just as terrifying. Its eyes were solid red, staring straight into his soul. The longer he kept eye contact, the more his head began to hurt. He broke eye contact, clutching his head to try and relieve the pain. It was a familiar sting, similar to that of Brainshock. It made his head fuzzy and his vision swim, leaving him in a dazed, dizzy state. He staggered, his knees buckling beneath him. In the span of time between the first punch and Claus becoming dazed, Lucas had already began running at the beast, PSI slowly flaring up around his hands. Claus, still dazed, sluggishly dodged a few swiftly dealt punches, but his luck ran out when a punch nailed him in his face plate, nearly knocking him to the ground. Lucas, in a panic, rushed at the beast with full speed. PSI bubbled up in his heart, creating gusts of wind around him. He felt a little feverish, the same feeling he always got before learning new PSI. He felt wind begin to whip around him, focusing at his fingertips, condensing into a controllable force he could manipulate. The energy of the PSI built up, the wind around his fingers whipping around faster and faster until it had become a tiny little hurricane around his hands. He leapt at the beast, pointed his fingers at it, and a sudden blast of concentrated wind right into the beast’s head, sending it straight into a wall. The second it made contact, it shattered, splitting into thousands of little particles of light and feathers. He waited, making sure the beast was gone, then sprinted over to Claus, putting his arm around him to stop him from falling over any more.

“You ok?”

Claus gave a slow, sluggish nod, still clutching his head. He struggled to stay on his feet, eventually giving in and collapsing against his brother, desperate for support. The two slowly lowered themselves to the floor, carefully easing back against a wall, letting out a sigh of relief.

“God... I forgot how bad Brainshock actually hurts...”

Claus gripped his head harder, his nails digging into his skull. He groaned as the pain worsened for a brief moment before settling back to a sharp sting. Lucas allowed PSI Healing to flourish in his hands, lightly touching Claus’s forehead, watching the instant relief cross his twin’s face. Claus let his head slam back against the wall, thoroughly exhausted. The two sat and waited, getting their fleeting strength back. Lucas moves to stand, but found Claus gripping his shirt, his metallic fingers digging into the fabric.

“Claus, we really should keep m-“

“Lucas, I can’t keep doing this shit. I’m exhausted. I can’t tell if my circuits are fried or I just overworked myself, but I do know this, I’m too hurt to carry on for a bit.”

Lucas tried to step away, but gave in when he realized Claus wasn’t going to let go of him. He sat back down and pried Claus’s hand off his shirt, resting up against him.

“Fine, I’ll stay put for a bit. You wanna take a nap or something?”

Claus nodded, his head lulling against his twin’s shoulder. Drowsiness quickly began to take over, pulling the twins closer and closer to sleep. As he lost consciousness, Claus unfurled his wings and let them wrap around himself and Lucas, bundling them up in a safe cocoon of metal and synthetic fabric. In moments, the two had drifted off into deep sleep, cuddled up against each other for warmth and comfort.

~~~{+}~~~

Claus awoke more exhausted than when he fell asleep, groaning as his body creaked from his slight movement. Lucas was tucked under his collarbone, peacefully sleeping away. Claus barely shifted, attempting to stretch out to relieve the aches and pains in his body, and was squished by his twin. He winced as Lucas’s grip tightened and he snuggled even closer to his brother, dreamily mumbling.

“Jeez, Lucas, you’re way more clingy than you were a couple years ago...”

He slowly pried the blonde’s hands off him, releasing his death grip. With a sigh, Claus leaned back against the stone wall, his hand slowly closing around Lucas’s. A slight, added tension mixed with a shifting of weight signaled Lucas had finally woken up. The blonde’s baby blue eyes gazed up at him, still half asleep.

“Oh, hey Claus.”

He yawned and rolled onto his back, stretching. Claus looked up at the ceiling, his mechanized eye locking onto tiny details along the tiles and stone. Lucas started mumbling some little monologue, but it never reached Claus’s ears. His mind shut off, focused on nothing in particular.

_“That nap did nothing for you, didn’t it?”_

Claus didn’t even break focus. He’d become somewhat compliant with the sing-song voice in his head. It was still as obnoxious as ever, but it was tolerable, especially after the quick warning he gave that saved Claus’s skin.

_“Yeah, it really didn’t. I’m stiffer than I was when I fell asleep.”_

_“Well, when you sleep against solid stone, it won’t be too comfy.”_

Claus shifted, his wings tucking behind his back as a slightly uncomfortable pillow.

_“I thought as much. By the way, how long was I out?”_

_“Around an hour. You’re a loud and heavy sleeper.”_

_“As if I didn’t already know that.”_

Lucas tapped Claus on the nose, gaining his attention. Claus snapped to his brother, who was now fully awake and facing him.

“Hey! You sleep ok?”

Claus nodded, pushing his hair out of his face. He folded his wings in and sat up, wincing at the slow cracking of his back. Lucas pushes himself off and stood up, extending a hand to help Claus up. Claus took the offer and slowly pushed himself to his feet. He tightened his grip and started towards the door.

“We need to keep moving. I’ve got the energy, and I’d rather use it while I’ve still got it.”

Lucas hesitantly hummed in response. He was still a bit tired from the previous fights, and he didn’t feel quite ready to return to adventure, but he knew Claus wouldn’t let him go anytime soon. He could tell Claus wasn’t in any better condition than he was, as he had a slight limp and his injuries still hadn’t completely healed. He was tugged to the side, being led along through the tunnels of the ruins. He was dragged around the statue and into a new corridor drenched with vines and flora. Their pace slowed as Claus cautiously stepped over vine after vine, narrowly avoiding tripping multiple times. Lucas made a point to stop and admire their surroundings, but Claus adamantly continued forwards.

“Claus, c’mon. Just for a moment?”

“No, Lucas.”

“Please?”

Claus promptly halted himself, let go of Lucas’s hand, and walked over to the wall, laying back against it. He waved a dismissive hand, quietly scoffing.

“Hurry up.”

Lucas nodded hastily and ran to the opposite side of the corridor, kneeling down to pick some of the flowers jutting out of the floor. One by one, he created a handful of them and began to hastily knit them together, forming a set of flower crowns. While he hurriedly crafted, Claus diverted his attention to the entrance to the next chamber. In the edge of the doorway, he could make out a flowing red dress with a white hem barely fluttering in view. It looked so similar, but he couldn’t put his finger on what it reminded him of. He slowly began walking towards the entrance, eyes fixated on the dress that was starting to slip out of view. His pace quickened, going from a slow walk to a jog. He turned into the entrance, and the dress was gone, not a single trace of it left. He scanned the room for any possible sign that something had been there, but he found nothing. Not a single thing.

_“What happened?”_

_“I swore I saw a red dress just around the corner, but...”_

_“But it’s not there, is it?”_

_“Yeah...”_

The Masked Man gave an annoyed hum in response. Claus could tell he recognized the dress as well, but had the same issue of it not ringing a bell enough to pinpoint who it belonged to. For a brief moment, he spaced out, only returning to reality when a familiar voice called out his name.

“Claus...?”

The second the voice reached his ears, Claus whipped around to find it, powerful memories flooding his mind. It came from behind him, and he instantly began walking towards it. He was fixated on the lullaby-like tone of the voice. It was soothing, calming, relaxing. In the very back of his mind he could hear the Masked Man calling out for him to snap out of it, that this could be a sirens call. Beautiful, entrancing, but deadly. Claus didn’t care. It was his mother’s voice, something he was very closely attached to. He rounded the corner, peered around, and saw Lucas standing with 2 carefully knit flower crowns, a figure dressed in red standing behind him. Claus blinked hard, shaking his head, and the figure was gone.

“Uh, Lucas? Did you see a figure behind you?”

Lucas turned and glanced around, confused.

“No, why?”

Claus shook his head, dismissing the subject as quickly as possible.

“N-no reason! Just... thought I saw something. We should get back to exploring, yeah?”

Lucas nodded and skipped over, placing a flower crown on Claus’s head.

“Mhmm! Let’s go!”

He took Claus by the hand and lead the way back to the chamber they were headed to. Claus fumbled with his flower crown, running his fingers over the petals. It was well made, sturdier than the crowns Lucas could make at home, but had a certain elegance that reminded him of his childhood. He brushed the pollen off his fingers and returned his focus to the path ahead.

Lucas has pulled him straight into the chamber, but something felt off. The room seemed more welcoming than the previous two, and it was unnerving to Claus. He felt an almost animalistic instinct kick in, like a mother bear ready to protect her cub. His senses spiked, anticipating a possible attack. He felt Lucas loosen his grip and run off to go look around. In the meantime, Claus began ripping vines off the walls and crafting a handmade whip with them. Normally, he would’ve used his arm cannon, but he was so exhausted. Nothing would come of using a beam that had the same strength as a peashooter, and because his sword ran on the same energy supply, it would be just as useless. He found that a weapon he made himself would be far more useful in the long run, and it may even be helpful later on. Claus firmly tied the vines together at the ends, creating a makeshift handle. From his spot, he could see Lucas picking flowers and bundling them up in his pocket. Claus narrowed his eyes and scanned his surroundings for any threat. As we scanned, his hands started braiding the vines together, strengthening the whip.

_“Making a weapon, are we?”_

_“Yeah. I don’t trust myself with my current abilities. Better to be safe than sorry, right?”_

_“Understandable, but may I ask, why not just use your PSI?”_

_“Because I’m not 100% confident I can actually use it. These ruins have some kind of interference on my PSI, which means I can’t use anything offensive.”_

_“But I can clearly remember seeing you use an offensive form of PSI on that titan from earlier, right?”_

_“I have a feeling that was out of desperation. I know that PSI can become temporarily limitless when under severe pressure or panic. It’s got something to do with mental and physical limitations that the mind sets, all of which get taken away under certain circumstances.”_

_“And I suppose that’s why you and Lucas were able to produce such overwhelming amounts of power?”_

_“Yeah. The interference on that stuff only prevents so much from escaping. Something like PK Love can be easily blocked, but whatever I used earlier is powerful enough to overcome the interference.”_

Claus finished knotting the vines, completing his whip. He lightly cracked it against his palm, silently wincing at the sting of pain. It was a little heavy, but it did the job. He wound it around his hand, tugging at it as he waited until Lucas decided to leave. He let his nerves slowly calm themselves but it didn’t last long. A sudden yelp from Lucas caught his immediate attention. Lucas was cornered, a massive, flora covered golem towering over him. A dent in the wall let Claus know that this creature already tried to hurt his brother. The instinct Claus felt before came back in full force. His eyes went wider to see the beast better, his ears perked up ever so slightly, his mind blocking onto the single thought of protecting his brother. His lips curled back, his sharp teeth glinting in the low light of the room. He tightened his grip and lunged, the whip snapping around the golems wrist as it brought its fist down on Lucas, holding it in place. He tugged back, hearing a sickening snap of the whip, realizing the whip had begun tearing. He refused to let go, fearing that if he did, the golem would send it’s fist straight into Lucas. The whip creaked as it pulled apart more and more, held together by tiny threads of the vines. Desperation set in, and PSI began to bubble up in his heart. Something was different about it, as Claus began to realize. Someone or something was helping him, boosting his power. His eyes lit up with olive green power, glittering brightly. The energy surged forward and into his whip, instantly repairing it and giving it a powerful glow of PSI. The whip sprouted thorns, and grew around the golems arm, tightly ensnaring it. In a split second, the whip went from a simple, handmade weapon to a vicious, writhing mass of sentient flora. Claus pulled back on the handle and the vines snapped around the golems body, taking it down. He let go of the whip, watching as it latched onto the ground and forced more thorned vines into the golem. He narrowed his eyes, pushed his PSI to his fingertips, and slammed the energy into the ground, forcing a plethora of thorned, thrashing vines into the golem, shattering its stone body. Lucas moved his hands away from his head, peeking out to see the golem had been destroyed, Claus standing in its place. Behind him was a familiar figure dressed in red, her hands on Claus’s shoulders. She let go and Claus booked it, making a beeline for Lucas, crashing into him with a hug.

“Are you ok?! That thing didn’t hurt you, right?!”

All animalistic instincts had left him, leaving only the panicked brother before him.

“Claus! I’m ok! I’ll be- OW! You’re crushing me!”

Lucas frantically tapped his brothers shoulder, attempting to push him off before he suffocated him.

“Sorry, sorry!”

Claus released his brother, checking him for injuries. There was a small scrape on his face from dodging the punch, but Claus couldn’t find anything more than that, which was a relief.

“Don’t worry about me, it’s just a scrape. I’ve taken worse, yeah?”

Claus nodded, pulling Lucas in for another hug. He breathed a sigh of relief, calming his nerves. He let go and smiled, utterly relieved. Lucas pushed himself to his feet and looked behind Claus, searching for the figure, but they were gone.

“I guess you saw them too?”

Lucas nodded.

“Yeah, I did.”

Claus stood up, brushed himself off, and sighed. He looked over to the shattered remains of the golem, his whip unusable. He frowned, a pang of sorrow hitting him as he realized he now had no useful weapon. He took Lucas by the hand and left the chamber, glad to be away from more trouble. He turned the corner and made his way into the narrow hallways of the ruins, rubbing his right shoulder.

_“You alright?”_

_“I’ve been better.”_

_“Let me guess, your rush of animal instinct nearly took your arm off?”_

_“Yep.”_

_“Heh. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt for long. Plus, I have a feeling this’ll be over soon.”_

_“I REALLY hope you’re right about that.”_

Claus reentered the main chamber for what felt like the millionth time and made his way towards the last door, dread sinking into his shoulders. He slowed down, taking in the surroundings. The walls were coated with little designs painted in a sky blue. Wind seemed to be barely pushing through the cracks and crevices in the walls, creating a light breeze. The corridor smelled moldy, rotten, like the remains of a decayed plant. It made Claus gag, painful memories coming back from the smell alone. He didn’t dare try to think of where it came from, for more disgusting memories might surface. He pushed ahead, entering the chamber at the end of the hall. Inside was a wide open floor with a swirling design on it. Soft feathers were hung from the ceiling, tied to decorated strings with little beads. It had an eerily welcoming feeling, like whatever was there wanted the twins to trust it. Claus slowly let go of Lucas’s hand, hesitant to do so. The two split off to explore, with Claus being far more hesitant than Lucas. The ginger scanned the room, jumping at any sudden noise. He settled himself near a wall, running his fingers over the carvings to try and distract himself. The smells, the sights, the sensations, it was all too much for him to deal with. He picked up on Lucas faintly walking around the chamber, but he tuned out everything else, oblivious to danger. He took a moment to gather his bearings with his surroundings, turning around. Standing behind Lucas was a beast made entirely of wind, it’s claws inching closer to the blonde. Claus instinctively rushed at it, reeling back to punch it with his mechanized arm, being the only decent weapon he could think of. Just as he got within lunging range, the beast turned and made a beeline for him, claws at the ready. Claus stopped hard, skidding against the stone tile. The beast got close, then made a rounded turn, quickly creating a cyclone around Claus and taking him with it. As the wind whipped up, it took Claus along with, spinning him faster and faster in place. He quickly became dizzy and dazed, with an odd wave of drowsiness striking him. As the whirlwind finally slowed to a halt, Claus barely was able to make out a spinning, wavering sight of the room before he stopped spinning and collapsed, thrown into a dizzy, dazed slumber. Lucas watched the whole thing happen from the moment he heard the whirlwind kick up. He stared in fear at Claus, laying helplessly in front of the beast, as it began to close in on him. In an act of panic, Lucas rushed at the beast, slamming into it as hard as he could, knocking it over and away from Claus. He toppled to the ground and hastily scrambled to his feet, stumbling over to his brother. The beast sharply turned, glaring daggers into Lucas. It slunk towards him, eyes narrowing. Lucas tried to make himself as good of a barrier as possible, acting as a human shield. The beast very slowly closed in, flexing its claws. Lucas prepared himself for the incoming blow, shutting his eyes and tensing up. Except, it never came. Instead, energy welled up from his heart and burst out in the form of an aggressive whirlwind that barred the twins from the beast. He opened one eye, then the other, and watched in awe as the barrier around him became an impenetrable wall of wind. He took a moment to focus, the thrust the energy outwards, causing the whirlwind to burst. The sharp wind sliced at the beast, shattering it.

“Ok, ok.... It’s gone now...”

He whipped around and went to check on Claus, who was still unconscious.

“Cmon, wake up...”

Lucas shook his twin, searching for a way to wake him up. Claus didn’t respond, still lost in a dreamless sleep. Lucas shook him again. No response.

“Cmoooon!!”

He shoved him, this time getting a minor response. Claus shifted, letting out a soft groan. Lucas shoved him again, this time with more force.

“WAKE UP!”

Claus shot up, frantically looking around.

“Huh?! What happened?!”

Lucas waved a hand in front of his face, gaining his attention.

“You got knocked out. I’m just glad you’re ok.”

Claus nodded, rubbing his head. He winced as his hand grazed over a soon-to-be lump, the spot already puffy and swollen. He stood up, helping Lucas up along with, and sighed.

“That was the last room, right?”

“I think so.”

“Okay, good, because I’m ready to pass out again.”

He took Lucas by the hand and managed to muster up the energy to walk again. His injuries and exhaustion had taken their toll. His mechanizations were starting to falter, the vision in his left eye becoming static and blurring, his right arm loosing feeling every now and again. He could tell Lucas had just about had enough, his energy drained to near rock bottom. The two pulled themselves back to the main chamber and headed for the exit, glad to finally escape.

“Oooohhh, I can see the exit, thank the gods...”

Just as they made it to the door, it slammed shut, intricate, glowing designs lighting up on the door. The twins looked at each other worryingly.

“You’ve got to be kidding me...”

The whole chamber shook, little pockets opening up to reveal serpentine ribbons of light, all with their sights set of the twins. The let go of each other and bolted in opposite directions, narrowly avoiding behind ensnared by the thousands of serpentine beings. As the two dodged and weaved around the beasts, they realized none of their PSI worked. Lucas tried PK Love countless times, but to no avail. Claus attempted you get his arm cannon up and running, but his body refused to put any more energy into it, leaving him just as defenseless as he was before. One of the serpentine ribbons managed to latch onto him, sinking its teeth into his arm. He pried it off, throwing it back into the fray of ribbons, dodging another round of them. Panic set in as both the twins found themselves cornered, back to back, with thousands of the ribbon like beasts surrounding them. Fear took hold as the thousands of ribbon closed in, eagerly ready to pounce. Lucas grabbed Claus’s right hand, gripping it for comfort. They backed up closer to each other, searching the crowd of serpentine ribbons for some kind of escape route. Desperation hit them both as the swarm of ribbons dove in, viscously clambering to get the first bite. In a panic, the twins focused any remaining pieces of PSI they had, forcing it to become a delicate yet powerful force. Rainbow colored ribbons of light wrapped around them, spiraling and swirling. They moved faster and faster, eventually forming a web around the twins that burst out, ensnaring the serpentine brings on instant. The two heard a rumbling and saw the door just barely opening, enough for them to both fit through. Claus saw the opportunity and made a break for it, sprinting around the writhing, ensnared swarm. He dashed through right as the door slammed shut, sealing the ruins off for good. The twins turned to face the door, letting out exasperated sighs of relief. Claus nearly fell backwards if it wasn’t for Lucas catching him, barely able to keep him up.

“Claus, I can’t hold you up... Please stand back up...”

He struggled, weakly pulling Claus to his feet. The ginger staggered, using Lucas for support, and managed to stabilize himself.

“Sorry, I’m just... so tired...”

Lucas nodded, sluggishly pulling himself alongside Claus. The two slowly hauled themselves back to the Pink Shell, gaining one final burst of energy when they saw it, exhaustedly rushing towards it. When they finally burst through the door, they both nearly collapsed.

“Good lord... I’ve never been this exhausted...”

He slowly threw off his jacket, the zipper clattering against the wall. Lucas kicked off his shoes and face planted onto the bed, dragging himself farther onto the mattress. Claus slowly took his shoes off, setting them aside. He pushed his matted hair out of his face, blowing a stray piece or two back up into the mess on his head.

“Lucas, you want me to try and get us something to heal up with?”

No response.

“Lucas?”

He turned around to see Lucas, sleeping like a log, curled up in bed. He shook his head, sluggishly walking over to the bed and dragging himself onto the mattress. Exhaustion finally took its final toll, stripping Claus of every last drop of his energy. His body went limp, too tired to stay strong. He loosely draped his arms over his brother, pulling him close. His eyes fluttered shut, his mind slipping away. In his last fleeting moments of consciousness, he swore he could feel someone tuck him and Lucas in and gently kiss their foreheads, then, as quietly as possible, walk to the door and carefully leave, the door softly shutting as she left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was way longer than I expected...
> 
> So I nearly rushed this. The reason being I'm on break, which means I can write more without interruption, and that I can plan better. Since I failed to make a Halloween special, I'll make it up to all my readers with a Christmas special (said special being the reason I nearly rushed this chapter). I'll be pumping out as much work as I can to make sure this upcoming chapter happens by Christmas.
> 
> Until then, see you soon!!


	15. Snowflakes and Sleigh Bells (Christmas Special!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins spend a Christmas with Duster and Kumatora and Claus has trouble with some nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY HOLIDAYS MY DUDES!
> 
> I know it's a tad bit early, but I decided to post this chapter when I got done with it (which was less than 5 minutes ago. I just wanted to add a little thank you to everyone who has read this story. As of typing this, it has over 700 hits, 32 kudos, and has been given way more love than I deserve. This has been one hell of a decade, and it's been one hell of a year. We've all made it this far, and I hope this next decade will be even better than the last. To everyone who's made it this far: thank you from the bottom of my heart. You guys are the best.
> 
> Onto chapter 15!!

Chimera of Light, a Mother 3 fanfic

Chapter 15: Snowflakes and Sleigh Bells (Christmas Special!)

It was the middle of winter, a flurry of snow falling outside, lightly coating everything it touched in a glistening white sheet of snow. Icicles hung from the windowsils and roofs, reflecting tiny rainbows around the sky. Lucas watched the snowfall with eager eyes, a blanket draped over his shoulders. His gaze turned to his bed, where a mound of blankets sat. He leapt onto the mattress, pulling up the blankets and peeking underneath. Hidden beneath the pile of blankets was Claus, shivering.

“Rise and shine, Claus! It’s Christmas Eve!!”

Claus yanked the blankets back down, tucking them around his body.

“Nooo...”

Lucas pulled the blankets up again, this time, sliding under it to see his twin better.

“Cmon, it’s gonna be so much fun!!”

He prodded at his twins side, attempting to coax him out, but the ginger twin refused.

“I don’t care if it’s Christmas! I’m cold, and until it’s warm enough that I can leave these blankets and not freeze to death, I’m not coming out!”

He tucked himself into a ball, pulling the blankets as close to himself as possible. Lucas sat back on his heels, pouting. Ever since Claus underwent mechanization, he had trouble staying warm. As a kid, he was always a toasty heater child, warm enough to heat a whole room, as Lucas liked to joke. But now, with around half of his body mechanized, he couldn’t hold in heat the way he used to. The day it got cold, he refused to leave the bed and stayed there until 10:00 in the morning, when the fireplace actually gave off enough heat to keep the house warm. Lucas had a feeling today was going to follow the same way, except it couldn’t. They had to be out of the house and on their way to Dusters by 8:00, and it was already 7:30. Neither of them were even remotely close to being ready. Lucas got up, rolling his eyes, and grabbed more firewood, chucking it into the fireplace, sparks crackling and flying around briefly. Heat gushed out, sending a blast of hot air into the house. He picked up on the jingling of bells, turning to see Boney hop down from the bed and trot over to the fireplace, sitting down in front of it. He gave him a pat on the head and strolled back over to the bed, lifting the covers up.

“Alright, the fire’s as hot as it’ll get, now get outta bed!”

Claus groaned, nestling himself deeper into the blankets. Now he was just trying to mess with his twin. Lucas could see it.

“So that’s how it’s gonna be, is it? Well, two can play at that game...”

He sprung onto the mattress and dug his fingers into Claus’s sides, eliciting a high pitched squeal from the ginger. The mass of blankets quickly became a squirming ball of laughter, desperate for escape.

“Lucas! Stop iiiiit!! You’re gonna- EEP!”

Claus’s laughter shot up an octave as Lucas carefully dug into his ribs, snickering.

“Oh, I’m not stopping until you admit you’re coming out of bed!”

He shifted his attack to Claus’s underarms, sending the ginger into near silent laughter. Claus somehow managed to kick Lucas off of him, throwing the blankets off and sitting up.

“That’s enough! I’m up, jeez!”

He pushed himself out of bed, brushed himself off, and shivered a bit. He was warmer than before, but he was still frigid. Cold air nipped at any exposed skin, chilling him to the bone. He sped to the dresser and grabbed his usual clothes, spare for changing out his shorts for jeans, hurriedly changed into them, and then began searching for his jacket. The second he found it, he threw it on and zipped it up, tucking himself into the fluffy collar. Lucas chuckled, ruffling his brothers hair.

“It’s about time! Hurry up and get ready to go. We’ve gotta be out of the house by 8:00!”

Claus did a double take, his memory not serving him correctly.

“Wait, don’t we usually have Christmas here? What warrants us leaving?”

“Our house isn’t big enough to hold twins, a cowboy dad, a bum legged thief, a tomboy princess, and a dog. Osohe Castle is cold and not very comfy, and Duster has the best fitting house for all this, so we’re going there.”

Claus glanced down, tapping his arm. He always remembered staying home for Christmas, granted it would be odd and a bit strange for him due to the lack of one particular family member, but it was his childhood nonetheless. He didn’t have a very positive outlook on having Christmas at Duster’s, what with his house being a train wreck and all. Lucas could see Claus’s discomfort and gave him a pat on the back.

“Hey, it’ll be fun! Sure, it’s going to be vastly different to our past experiences, but it’s a good change, right?”

“I hope...”

“Oh, cheer up, or I’ll make ya!”

He playfully threatened Claus, wiggling his fingers just above his twins sides.

“Ok, ok! I’ll cheer up! Just no more tickling!”

Claus shuffled away from Lucas, hurriedly standing up and clamping his arms over his sides in defense.

“That’s better. Now, finish getting ready so we can head out. I’ve gotta finish getting Boney ready.”

The chocolate colored pup perked up, whined, and trotted over to the blonde, following at his heels. Claus stretched and made his way to the mirror, grabbing the comb and untangling his hair.

_“Nervous, are we?”_

_“A little.”_

_“I’m guessing Dusters house isn’t... tidy?”_

_“He’s never been a clean freak. Last time I was there I could get farther than the door. He just doesn’t have a lot of will to clean. Granted, he lives alone now, but still.”_

_“How messy are we talking?”_

_“On a scale from occasionally messy to hoarder, he’s lazy. He definitely has standards, considering he’s clean when it comes to food, but for anything else, he just is lazy.”_

_“Well, that’s understandable, to a degree.”_

_“I say it’s fine. He’s an adult, he lives alone, and he doesn’t even have kids. There’s no incentive to have to stay clean.”_

_“He’s got you and Lucas, not to mention, Kumatora technically could be considered part of the family, just as an older sister.”_

_“But that’s not the same! We’re not RELATED to him, nor do we stay at his house 24/7! He takes care of us when dad isn’t around! Plus, he’s more of a dad to Lucas than me. I kinda feel outcasted around them, at least sometimes...”_

_“You’re worried you’ll be rejected in the midst of the celebration, right?”_

_“Yeah...”_

_“I wouldn’t freak out about it. Lucas wouldn’t allow it, and they care about you just as much as they care about Lucas. I think they just don’t know how to handle you sometimes. It’s difficult to handle a chimera, not to mention a human chimera. It’s just hard to decide what to do.”_

_“But-“_

_“They’re trying their best, Claus. You’re not exactly human anymore, which means it’s harder to relate and make decisions. They’re not entirely used to you, but I can tell they really do care. Although, if I may ask: what’s Christmas like? I’ve never experienced it, granted I only came along the day you were brainwashed.”_

_“It’s a holiday we celebrate that comes from old legend that tells of a forest god who granted the dreams and wishes of those who helped protect their forest. We take in a tree as a symbol of thanks for the god and decorate it with ornaments we made. The legend tells that, in exchange for giving praise to their forest and livelihood, the god granted the people who gave thanks gifts and trinkets. To celebrate, we give each other gifts and presents.”_

He fumbled with the comb, pushing the teeth of it through a particularly nasty knot.

_“Everyone’s always really cheery and excited. Personally, I used to love it, but now that moms gone...”_

_“It’s a lot less enjoyable?”_

_“Mhmm...”_

_“I have a feeling it’ll be much more fun this year. Oh, hurry up!”_

Claus turned to see Lucas headed towards him, carrying Boney. Lucas had his coat on, as well as a scarf, hat, mittens, and was wearing snowboots. Boney, on the other hand, was wearing a handmade coat and little handmade boots, all of which seemed to be made of wool and water-resistant fabric.

“You ready to go?”

Claus checked himself in the mirror and briefly ruffled part of his hair up, making it a little scruffy, but keeping the majority of it neat and smoothed out. He grabbed his combat boots, carefully laced them up, and pulled the hood of his jacket over his head.

“Yeah. Let’s go...”

Lucas put Boney on the floor and clicked his tongue, signaling for the chocolate colored pup to follow. They stepped outside, Lucas closing the door behind them, and started for Dusters house. Boney hopped over a snow drift and stayed at Lucas’s heels, keeping close, but with enough distance that he wouldn’t trip him up from a quick turn. He was almost perfect at keeping this distance, as Claus took note, staying at the same distance unless he had to switch sides or move around people. All Lucas had to do was whistle or click his tongue and Boney would respond on the spot. It was almost fascinating.

“Hey, Boney’s really responsive to your commands. How the heck did you get him to listen so well? I always remembered him being a little stubborn.”

Lucas smiled, his cheeks a rosy red from the cold.

“He came with me for the whole adventure we had and the 3 years I was alone. I had horrible anxiety and panic attacks, not to mention the terrifying nightmares I would get every night. Boney was almost like a service dog, learning ticks and little noises I’d make that would mean something, like an oncoming anxiety attack. Over those 3 years, he picked up on everything, so he’s a really good listener, at least for me.”

Boney yipped in agreement, his fluffy little tail wagging excitedly. He nuzzled Claus’s leg, his soft body providing a quick sense of heat, but only for a moment. They rounded the eastern corner of the village and Dusters house came into view, lazily decorated with half burnt out Christmas lights and fake icicles. Lucas knocked on the door, patiently waiting for a response, and he was quick to get one. The door opened to reveal Duster dressed in pajamas and old slippers.

“Oh, hey! Good to see you both decided to show up! Hurry up and get inside before you both freeze to death, yeah?”

The twins hurried inside, Boney close behind, and huddled next to each other, waiting for Duster to close the door. Once he did, they breathed a sigh of relief, glad to be in a warm house. They scuffed off their boots and Lucas took off his coat, placing it on the empty coat hook next to him. Claus refused to take off his jacket, keeping it completely zipped up. He tucked his neck into the fluff of the jacket, taking in as much warmth as possible. Lucas knelt down and helped Boney out of his coat and boots, letting the pup run around the house. Duster limped back to his seat on his couch, sitting back down with a sigh.

“Is Flint not going to show up?”

Lucas shook his head, his slightly damp hair fluttering around.

“Not for a while. He wanted to help the village with the annual festival we have, but he’ll come over once he’s done, however long that may take.”

Duster gave a thumbs up and laid back in the couch cushions, clearly tired. From what Claus could tell, he’d taken at least a day to clean the whole house, which was a feat for someone as lazy as Duster. Everything was stacked against walls in a somewhat orderly fashion. The floor had been swept and mopped, leaving it with a slight sheen. Claus was almost impressed, until he saw the sliver of an opening in the closet door just behind some boxes and noticed it was jam packed with everything from around the house. He shrugged and fluffed his hair up, shaking the bits of snow from it. A door slammed from upstairs, thundering footsteps grew louder as a pink haired blur launched at the twins, enveloping them in a hug.

“You two finally made it!!”

Kumatora tightened her grip, crushing the poor twins. Claus managed to squeeze an arm out and tap her on the shoulder, a sign to let them go before he suffocated.

“G-good to see you t-too...”

Kumatora quickly released the twins, sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck.

“Sorry! Forgot how strong I am.”

Lucas waved a polite, dismissive hand. He stood up and brushed himself off, gently rubbing a sore spot on his arm from the hug.

“It’s ok. I’m pretty much used to it.”

Kumatora gave a thumbs up, helping Claus up.

“Well, it’s good to see you’re both here! I just got started on decorating, so if anybody wants to help, you’re welcome to do so!”

She peppily walked over to a stack of boxes and threw off the lid, grabbing a handful of lights and dragging them over to a wall. She was wearing a sweater dress, a definite change from her normal outfit, but still kept her black fingerless gloves. Her hair was noticeably neater than it usually was, and she appeared to be wearing a thin layer of makeup, something neither of the twins ever expected her to do. Duster slowly pushed himself up from his seat and limped over to Lucas, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Wanna help me start on dinner?”

Lucas looked up and nodded, perkily following Duster to the kitchen, leaving Claus alone. Boney had run off to explore the clean house, and everyone else had run off to help prepare for the Christmas fun. Claus quietly made his way over to the couch and balled himself up on the flat cushions that sunk down too much under his weight. He tucked his knees into his chest and laid his chin between his knees, staring off into the distance.

_“You’re not going to talk to anyone?”_

That familiar voice softly cooed in Claus’s mental ears, gaining his attention.

_“They’re all busy, so I’ll leave them alone until they need me.”_

_“But that’s stupid! They’d be happy to have some help or some company!”_

Claus went quiet. He nestled his face deeper into his knees, shutting his eyes. He did want to help, he really did, but he feared the worst. Duster and Kumatora were still mildly cautious around Claus, although they tried their best to hide it, and were slightly against him trying to assist with certain tasks. Since he functioned so differently, all thanks to having biological enhancements to his senses and overall body, he had an unintentional habit of messing things up purely on accident or from misunderstanding. It had happened enough times that Claus had become accustomed to being left out of most activities. To add to the fact, he could barely sleep. Lucas was all too excited for the holidays and kept him awake for the whole night, leaving Claus exhausted and without a full charge for his circuits. He had pulled enough of an early morning nap to get some form of energy, but it’d been completely spent. He only had any smidge of energy he kept from his fast breakfast. In a split second, he sat up, eyes shooting open. He took a second to make sure he was still awake, then groaned.

_“At this rate, I’m gonna pass out before lunch...”_

_“Let me guess, not enough sleep?”_

_“Yep.”_

_“Heh, well, how about I show you a little trick you can use for later?”_

_“I doubt it’s gonna help, but sure.”_

The odd, scratchy laughter of the Masked Man echoed through Claus’s tired mind, making him wince.

_“First, get your mechanized arm in a usable position.”_

_Claus sat up a bit more, laying his right arm on his knees._

_“Okay, now what?”_

_“Twist the 3rd and 5th rings for me.”_

Claus grabbed the 3rd and 5th rings and twisted them as he normally would to switch functions. Instead of activating something something he had seen before, he got a surge of energy. Electricity sparked up and shot through his body, making every part of him tingle for a moment or two. His mechanical parts sprung to life with great haste, little strings of electricity leaping from the metal. Claus was amazed, watching the electricity jump and zip around his arm.

_“What did you have me do? I feel so energized...”_

_“I had you activate the emergency battery. It’s a backup for when you have no charge whatsoever, most likely from lack of sleep.”_

_“Sweet! But, how’d you know? Even I didn’t know about this!”_

_“Claus, I was the one who got all these features. I know far more than you do.”_

_“Mind telling me about all of it?”_

_“Absolutely, but not today. Go help Kumatora, I think she’d appreciate it.”_

Claus huffed and pushed himself to his feet, bouncing between feet, testing his energy. He felt like he’d gotten a perfect nights sleep and had a full charge. After a few more bounces, he jogged upstairs, turning the corner to find Kumatora on a flimsy stool hanging up red and green fairy lights.

“Oh, hey Claus! You here to help?”

Claus gave a small nod, his eyes wandering to the pile of lights behind her.

“Mhmm. Just tell me what to do.”

Kumatora gave him a thumbs up, climbed down, and handed him a handful of lights.

“I’ll handle this wall, you handle the other one.”

She cautiously climbed back onto the stool, wobbling as she gained her balance, and stuck another string of lights up. Claus threw the handful of lights over his shoulder, turning to face the opposite wall. He arched his back, then pushed it out, his wings elegantly unfurling from the slits in his jacket. Small puffs of air puttered out of the thrusters, leaving a slight haze for a moment. He tested the wings, barely flapping them, just enough to lift his toes off the ground. Once he was sure they worked, he gave one final little flap before pumping them downwards, kicking the thrusters in and lifting him straight off the ground. Instead of heat emitting “flare thrusters”, as they had been called, air powered thrusters had kicked in, requiring Claus to occasionally flap his wings to help keep him afloat. With his wings keeping him in the air, Claus began the slow process of hanging up lights. Kumatora had only scratched the surface of her side, lights only hung a few feet from the staircase. Claus had only a few inches on his side, leaving a dissatisfied feeling in his gut.

“Kuma, how long does it usually take you to put all these lights up?”

Kumatora quickly counted how many piles she had left, including the lights in hand, then stuck another strand to the wall.

“Hours. I’m finished close to lunch, but then I have to help with the tree, so I don’t even get a legitimate break.”

She looked over to see Claus fastening the end of the lights to his arm cannon, latching them to a hook on some form of ammo sticking out of the cannon. He positioned himself up against the wall, stuck the opposite end of the lights to the wall, aimed, then fired his arm cannon, sending the lights across the hall and onto the hook at the other end, securely latching into place. Kumatora watched in awe as Claus gracefully landed, extending a hand for more lights.

“So, about those hours of work-“

He paused as Kumatora handed him more of the lights.

“-Why not get them done in 15 minutes?”

He repeated the process, this time on the other wall Kumatora had been working on. With a single shot, the entire strand of lights was perfectly hung on the wall. Claus smirked, ready for another string of lights. Kumatora caught onto his little scheme and grabbed the entire pile of lights beside her, swinging them over her shoulder.

“I like what you’re talking about!”

She handed Claus another string of lights, excitedly grinning. The two of them set out to quickly finish what they started, getting every last strand of lights up and in place, finishing well before lunch. Once they finished, they high-fived, then bolted downstairs, sprinting straight into the kitchen.

“Is lunch ready yet?”

Claus and Kumatora were leaning in through the doorway, eyes searching the room for food. Duster glanced over at them, shifting weight between his legs.

“Not quite. You’ve got at least 30 minutes before it’ll be ready.”

The two nodded and left, parting ways for the moment. Kumatora returned to decorating, setting up simple and minimalist decor while Claus made his way back to the couch, his emergency battery temporarily shutting off, completely cutting off his energy supply. He yawned, laying down on the cushions, his circuitry shutting down. Sleep was oh so close, yet felt so far. A warm, soothing feeling enveloped him, further lulling him towards that dreamy slumber he desired.

_“I’m assuming you’re doing this to save battery?”_

_“Eh, half that and half I didn’t sleep last night.”_

_“How so?”_

_“Copious nightmares. Lucas woke me up twice from sheer excitement, but it was mostly nightmares.”_

_“Strange, you don’t seem like the type to get those very often.”_

_“I didn’t used to get them as often as I do now. They’d come in pairs, always working in tandem with Lucas. If he had a particularly bad one, I’d almost always have one along with. Nowadays, and I blame Porky for this, I get them just about every other night. Sometimes it’s just a little thing that scares me, but I can go back to sleep easily, but then I have days like these where they’re so bad I will outright refuse to sleep as to prevent them.”_

_“Any way to stop them?”_

_“Not that I know of. Lucas helps, mainly through letting me vent the entirety of it to him before I calm down enough to sleep, but that’s about it. I’ve never been able to find a way to stop them completely.”_

_“Ah, I see. Well, I’ll let you be so you can try to get some rest. If you need me, I’ll always be here.”_

The voice faded from his head, leaving the quiet atmosphere of the room, barely disrupted by the sounds of the kitchen. His eyes fluttered closed and sleep took hold, sending him into a restless slumber.

~~~{+}~~~

“-us!”

“Claus wake up!!”

With a shriek, Claus awoke in a cold sweat, shaking. His eyes frantically searched the room, attempting to find a grounding point. He hugged himself, shutting out the world as best he could, until something jumped up on his lap. He opened one eye and was caught off guard by Boney frantically licking his face, pushing his nose under Claus’s hands to try and pry them off.

“B-boney?”

The dog pushed himself under Claus’s hands and closer to the ginger, whining. He was distraught, trying to get Claus’s full attention. Claus quickly gave in and ran his fingers through Boney’s fur, scratching him behind the ears. Boney immediately seemed to relax, laying down and resting in Claus’s arms. It was comforting, easing his mind off the terrifying nightmare he had experienced mere minutes ago. As he relaxed, Boney seemed to calm down too, eventually settling for Claus’s lap over his embrace.

“I don’t know what you just did, but whatever it was, thank you.”

Boney yipped and wagged his fluffy tail, his ears perking up. Claus’s mind was finally at ease, at least for the moment. He laid back against the armrest, the adrenaline rush from his sudden awakening dying down.

“Claus! Cmon already!! Lunch’s ready!”

Claus snapped towards the sound of his brother’s voice. Boney peeked over the couch, hopped off of Claus’s lap, and trotted over to the kitchen. Claus slowly pushed himself to his feet and made his way into the kitchen, the delicious scent of whatever Lucas and Duster cooked up guiding him. His circuits slowly whirred to life, providing a last spurt of energy for the day. Once he finally came to his senses, he found a plethora of food laying out on the table, neatly arranged on colorful plates.

“Whatcha make? It smells reeeeeally good...”

Duster set another plate down and sat down on the far end of the table, gesturing for Claus to come and sit.

“Too much to list, but we did make omelets with the recipe Lucas has.”

Claus’s eyes lit up, sparkling like diamonds. He rushed to a seat, perched at the edge, eagerly waiting to take the first pick.

“Oi, Claus! Chill for a sec! Me and Lucas haven’t even sat down yet!”

Kumatora lightly flicked the back of his head, walking around and to the other end of the table, taking a seat. Lucas followed suit, sitting across from Claus. There was a moment of excited tension between the group, awaiting the cue to eat. Duster watched as Kumatora and the twins leaned in closer and closer, sighing in defeat. He lifted his glass and tapped it with his fork, a gentle ring emanating from it.

“Alright, alright, dig in.”

The three hastily grabbed food, piling it onto their plates in a frenzy of playful arguments and sly, sneaky moves to steal from one another. Duster merely waited the majority of the battle out, occasionally snagging a bite or two from the banquet in the middle. As the frenzy of food snatching excitement died down, casual conversation and excited arguments broke out around the table, utensils pointing at each other, friendly battles waging between bites. It was a wonderful sight to behold. Everyone was laughing and smiling, having the time of their lives, but the fun didn’t stop there. Once everyone had finished eating, they rushed to the Christmas tree, hastily handing out presents to each other. They moved clockwise, going youngest to oldest, much to Claus’s dismay. They moved quickly, ready to play and enjoy themselves with whatever they got. Lucas got a slew of new clothes, a baseball bat decorated with intricately painted designs of PK Love, his old cleaned up Awesome Cloak and Awesome Crown, and a special backpack that was built for adventure. Claus got a few new clothes, a toolset for his arm, and a hat with “Best Brother” written across the top. Kumatora got a new hoodie dress, a set of paints and brushes, and a new pair of gloves to replace her old, beaten up ones. Duster wound up getting several joke gifts from the twins, which were exchanged for a new thief tool belt, a box of dark chocolate candies, and a small bag of hand carved wooden figures Kumatora had made. The room bubbled with excitement as the twins showed off everything they had, chattering with enough energy to power a generator.

“I got the coolest stuff!”

“I highly disagree, Lucas. I got the best brother hat, so clearly I got the coolest stuff.”

“Oh shush! Look at all this!”

He gestured to the heap of clothes beside him.

“It’s because you’re a literal twig, Lemon Drops.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me.”

A sharp whistle got their attention, turning them to Duster, who was standing, holding something behind his back.

“If I could have your attention, I’ve got one last surprise for the day.”

“Who’s it for?!”

The twins jumped at the idea, shouting on unison. Duster smirked, shaking his head.

“Think of it as a... family gift. It’s for everyone, including myself.”

He shifted his grip on whatever he was holding, making sure to keep it out of sight.

“Now, two of you will recognize this little guy, and one of you won’t, which is fine! I’m happy to explain how he got here.”

Claus already knew the person who wouldn’t recognize this... thing, was himself. Lucas and Kumatora seemed ecstatic to see whatever was behind Dusters back, almost like they knew who it was.

“Alright, everyone, please welcome back the one and only-“

He held both hands out, a scarlet red snake coiled in his palms.

“-Rope Snake!”

Claus seemed relatively confused while Lucas and Kumatora greeted the red reptile. There was something familiar about the critter, something Claus recognized, yet couldn’t put his finger on. He stared at it for a moment, and then it clicked. Rope Snake was the same snake Duster had used to hold onto the mothership Claus had been in shortly after Lucas destroyed Thunder Tower. Although he had ultimately failed to keep them attached to the ship for very long, he still seemed like a powerful ally in the sense of exploration. He was large for a snake, spanning longer than Dusters arm by at least half a foot, and had fangs like daggers, glittering on the sides of his mouth. Claus slowly reached out a hand between Lucas and Kumatora, cautiously easing forwards. Rope Snake leaned in, hesitantly looked at Claus’s hand, then pressed his nose against Claus’s fingers, a small smile on his face. Claus’s eyes lit up, relief sparking through him. He feared Rope Snake would hold a grudge against him or act hostile, but a simple boop was enough to let Claus know that he was forgiven and wasn’t a threat.

“Kid, trust me, Duster explained the whole thing. You’re a way different person now, and I’m willing to trust you.”

Claus gave a tiny nod, completely unfazed by the fact that Rope Snake could actually speak. He’d seen chimeras talk in fluent English before, so why would this be any different?

“Thanks.”

Claus kept his tone low, almost at a whisper, giving a small thumbs up. He still had that nagging fear of not being accepted as a human being in the village, or anywhere for that matter. He’d caused so much damage and turmoil and expected everyone to hate him once he came around. Luckily for him, just about everyone had forgiven him, spare for the few who still insisted he was out to kill, but he avoided those people as much as he possibly could. As for everyone else, once they saw the condition he was in and how defensive Lucas would get, they warmed up to him. Claus could still see the look on his brothers face during those days, how adamantly persistent he was on making sure nobody messed with his twin. He back up from the little crowd around Rope Snake and sat back down, a small memory flashing in his mind.

_“Well well well, look what we have here.”_

_Claus turned, his smile fading. One of the villagers towered over him, glaring daggers into him. They eyed his mechanizations, specifically the arm and eye, scoffing._

_“Here to cause more trouble, eh?”_

_“N-no, I-“_

_“Shut it, ya freak. That’s all you’ll ever be; a freak.”_

_Claus backed up, tears welling up in his eye. He felt the grip on his hand tighten, a mix of reassuring him and a growing anger. He had been walking around with Lucas all day, reintroducing himself and convincing the villagers he wasn’t there to kill anymore, which wasn’t hard, but it was nerve-wracking. Lucas had been supportive and there to cheer Claus on, keeping ahold of his hand to prevent him from running off and for comfort. He had stayed a few paces ahead, but had absolutely picked up on the little conversation Claus was having with this villager._

_“P-please, I’m not what I used to be, just-“_

_“And I’m supposed to believe that? HA! As if! You’re just trying to get everyone to like you so you can use them the same way the whole Pigmask army used them, aren’t you?!”_

_“N-no! I’m not!”_

_“Liar. A horror like yourself should’ve stayed in that army and disappeared along with it. You should’ve kept that abomination of a face out of this village, you monster.”_

_The grip on Claus’s hand tightened beyond reassurance. That was the last straw. Claus was ready to start crying, tears already trickling down his cheek. He felt the grip on his hand suddenly release and he looked around in fear._

_“What did you just say to him?”_

_Lucas stepped around and in front of Claus, but he didn’t look like the happy twin Claus always saw. Rather, his expression was of only anger. There wasn’t a single piece of joy left on the blonde’s face, and it was frightening._

_“Well if it isn’t Lucas. You heard what I said; he’s a monster, a freak, an abomination in this society. He should’ve stayed in that wretched army if he knew what was good for him.”_

_“You’re a real pain in the ass, you know that.”_

_“Excuse me?”_

_“You heard me.”_

_“Oh, getting angry are we? What’re you gonna do, sick that freak of yours behind you on me?”_

_Claus watched Lucas’s expression twist into something more than rage. He couldn’t even tell what it was anymore, but he knew what was coming, or at least, he thought he did. The villager advanced on the two, spouting more and more insults. He got just a few feet away, and then Lucas snapped._

_“YOU STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY BROTHER, YOU BITCH!”_

_Claus’s eyes went wide. He’d never heard Lucas swear in his life, let alone to this extreme. Even the villager seemed appalled with the sudden shout, but he kept advancing, only slower._

_“I said STAY BACK!”_

_Lucas snarled, reaching for the Mystical Stick in his backpack. The villager seemed to stop and back away a bit, holding up both hands in defeat._

_“You’d better not talk like that to my brother again, YOU HEAR ME?!”_

_The villager nodded and quickly walked away. Once he was out of sight, Lucas relaxed, reaching out a hand for Claus to take. Cautiously, he took ahold of the blonde’s hand, watching as their fingers locked together. Lucas still had a tight hold, but it felt protective and reassuring._

_“You ok? I’m so sorry he did that to you.”_

_“I’m fine! Just... a little shaken.”_

_Lucas quickly pulled Claus into a hug, not letting go of his hand._

_“If anyone ever does something like that to you again, I promise I’ll protect you, ok? I’ll protect you the same way you protected me when we were little.”_

_“But, I’m supposed to be the one protecting you!”_

_“Not anymore. It’s my turn to do that. You kept me safe for so long, now it’s time for me to take up that role. I can fend for myself, but you’re just getting started around here, which means there’s going to be a lot of people out for your neck. You stopped them from hurting me when I was little, so it’s my turn to stop them from hurting you now.”_

_Claus smiled, wiping the tears from his face. Lucas released him and tugged on his hand._

_“C’mon, lets go home. You’ve had a long day, and I think you should rest.”_

_“You’re right about that. I could do for a nap right about now...”_

_“Then let’s go! Home, here we come!”_

_With a sharp tug of the hand, the two were off and running back towards home._

Claus smiled, looking over at how happy Lucas was. He stood up, tapped Lucas on the shoulder, then ran.

“Tag! You’re it!”

The blonde turned to see Claus running around a corner, winding up to break into a sprint after him.

“Oh, it’s on!!”

~~~{+}~~~

“Can one of you hand me the hairbrush over there?”

“Sure thing.”

Claus reached over and held the brush out behind him. Kumatora grabbed it and aggressively began brushing her hair, trying to push it back into a ponytail. The four were exhausted, having spent the day playing and enjoying the time they had together. Duster offered to let everyone stay at his house, since it would be a long walk for both the twins and Kumatora, not to mention it had dropped to below zero outside, and none of them had the gear to walk in that. They had managed to cram themselves into the small upstairs bathroom, since it was the only one that had a mirror, and had begun their nightly routine. The counter was lined with countless hair ties and brushes, as well as water spots and a few globs of soap that had been accidentally flung out of the bathtub. Duster has just about finished, grabbing his stuff for the night and headed for the door.

“Alright, there’s only 2 bedrooms in this house. Me and Kuma can take the one with 2 beds. Lucas, Claus, you two can use my old bed. It’s big enough for both of you.”

“Which room?”

“Just across the hall, second on the left.”

With that, he left. Lucas shrugged, neatly combing his hair back. He’d always been picky when yet came to his hair. It had to be the same every single time he put it up, and needed to be carefully swept back at night so it wouldn’t mess it up in the morning. Claus, on the other hand, literally couldn’t care less, merely ruffling out his neatly combed hairdo. Sure, it’d be a rats nest in the morning, but that wasn’t an issue for him. He watched Kumatora pull her hair into a tiny little ponytail, then grab her stuff and leave.

“G‘night! See you both in the morning!”

“Goodnight!”

Lucas smiled and finished combing his hair back, setting his comb on the counter and turning to Boney, who had walked in and was standing between his legs.

“Alright, alright, lets get your collar off.”

He knelt down, turning his attention to Boney. Claus pushed a few stray pieces of hair out of the way and looked at himself in the reflection of the mirror, but his eyes caught onto something else. Standing just behind him was his mother, dressed in a pale red nightgown, her hair draped over her shoulders. Her reflection wavered slightly, making it difficult to tell if she was actually there or not. Claus looked over to Lucas, and when he looked back, she was gone.

“You ok over there?”

“Uh, yeah? I swore I just saw mom for a second...”

“How much sleep did you actually get last night?”

“Less than 4 hours.”

“I bet you’re just sleep deprived and seeing things. Let’s get to bed, ok?”

“Sure...”

His eyes were still fixated on the spot where his mother was, hoping that maybe if he blinked hard enough she’d reappear, but she never did. Lucas eventually had to drag him out of the room and off to bed. Claus thought he’d be able to get a good nights sleep, or at least, he hoped he would, but his mind still tempted the prospect of never ending nightmares, letting them loom over his seeming peaceful state of mind.

~~~{+}~~~

_Breathing. All he could hear was his terrified, heavy breathing. Not even his pounding heart made a sound. Panic flooded his body as the faint sound of clattering metal got closer and closer. He didn’t dare look behind him, fearing the thought of what was there. His body screamed for him to stop, begging for him to slow down and catch his breath, but he couldn’t. His body got what it wanted, however, when he slammed into a wall of void. He toppled backwards, almost immediately pulling himself to his feet, desperately searching the wall for some kind of hidden door or tunnel he could duck into and flee, but the escape never came. Closer and closer came the sound of metal, thundering towards him until it was right above him. He turned, back pressed up against the wall, tears welling up in his eye. The spider-like mech loomed over him, eyeing him like a predator eyes its prey._

_“How lovely. My little robot slave, helplessly cornered by his master.”_

_The legs of the mech slammed into the wall, creating a blockade on either side of him._

_“Look at you, monsters aren’t supposed to have feelings, right? Quit that pathetic whimpering, you lifeless puppet.”_

_A leg of the mech reared back, aimed at his head, then launched forwards at blinding speed. With a scream, he ducked down, covering his head with his hands. He broke down, sobbing as he kept trying to cover his head. Porky laughed, pulling the leg that narrowly missed Claus’s head out of the wall._

_“Aww, what’s wrong? Gonna cry, weakling? Go ahead, call for help! See if anybody hears you.”_

_Claus barely managed to choke out a cry for help between sobs, his voice cracking and breaking._

_“Lucas? K-Kuma..? Duster...?”_

_No answer._

_“S-someone... p-please...”_

_No answer._

_“Please...”_

_Still no answer._

_“Well, seems you’re helpless, my little puppet. You’re at the mercy of me, and I don’t plan on having any mercy on you, you monster.”_

_The spider mech shifted, each leg forcing itself under a limb and pinning it to the wall, immobilizing Claus. One leg reared up, the point of the claw aimed directly at Claus’s neck. He squirmed and struggled, trying to force himself out of the restraints that had been placed on him._

_“How cute, struggling in an unbreakable grip. You can’t escape, you’re trapped. Trapped in my grasp, forever chained by me.”_

_The leg clicked, ready to strike._

_“Now, I believe a punishment is in order. Hopefully, this will teach a monster like yourself to listen to your master.”_

_The leg made a horrible creaking sound, bending back before it suddenly shot forwards. Claus’s eyes went wide, then it all went black..._

With a muffled scream, Claus shot upright, clutching his chest. He was sweating, breathing heavily, and found that he was crying as there were tear stains along his cheeks and pillow. His head fell into his hands as an exasperated sigh escaped his lips. He slowly wiped the still running tears from his face, attempting to control his breathing. He shakily turned to wake up Lucas, but quickly stopped himself upon seeing the joyful, dreamy smile in his brothers face. He was having the most wonderful of dreams, which Claus could see thanks to the mumblings of his brother. He made out that the dream was of himself and Lucas playing somewhere, but couldn’t figure out much more than that. As Lucas snuggled himself deeper into the blankets, Claus felt a pang of guilt hit him in the chest. He didn’t have the guts to wake him up. All he’d do is ruin the blonde’s upbeat mood and make the whole night a problematic mess, so he decided on a second option; taking the matter into his own hands rather than relying on someone else.

“Sorry Lucas, but I just can’t push myself to wake you up.”

His voice was quiet, merely a whisper. He gently threw off the covers, making sure to put them back to cover his tracks, and crept out of the room. His movements were nearly silent, aside from the muted clicks and whirrs of circuitry. He snuck downstairs and straight to the kitchen, ignoring the odd creaks of the floor he heard once he was still. He cautiously grabbed a glass, filled it with icy cold water, and downed it in seconds. He set the glass down and sighed, wiping his face in an attempt to wipe away the tear stains stuck to his cheek. He heard an exceptionally long creak in the floor and froze, his hand still against his cheek. Footsteps slowly reached his ears, causing panic to flood his body.

“Busted...”

Claus attempted you pinpoint who came downstairs to find him. The pattern of steps were too synchronized to be Boney or Duster, so it was either Lucas or Kumatora. He shifted, his mechanized eye trying to make out the figure coming towards him. The night vision he was given was weak, only strong enough to make out a silhouette in the darkness. From the waist down, the silhouette resembled Kumatora, but as Claus’s vision panned upwards, he realized it wasn’t Kumatora at all. The hair was too long and curly, the figure more mature and defined. It didn’t take long for him to realize the figure was his mother, standing in the doorway, a concerned look on her face.

“Claus, what are you doing awake?”

He was speechless. He swore he was hallucinating or trapped in another nightmare. Hinawa slowly walked over, kneeling down in front of him. Claus could feel tears starting to well up in his eye again, not from fear, but from the weight of everything he was holding back.

“Claus, sweetie, are you ok?”

He thought about lying to stop her from worrying, but his mind had other ideas.

“I-I j-just can’t sleep...”

He rubbed his eye to try and hide the fact he was on the verge of crying, but it did little to quell Hinawa’s concern.

“Why’s that?”

She cupped a hand on his cheek, gently pushing away tears that began to trickle down his face.

“I... I’ve b-been having nightmares...”

He sniffled, struggling to hold back whimpers and tiny sobs. Hinawa pulled him into a hug, letting him bury his face in her shoulder. Emotions flooded his body, and he broke down, sobbing into his mothers shoulder. She ran her fingers through his hair, trying to soothe him. It took Claus a while to finally calm down enough to process what was going on. He quickly found his mother’s embrace felt safe and protected, guarding him from the horrors of his fears and anxieties. He didn’t want to let go. He didn’t want her to leave him. He gripped the fabric of her nightgown, pulling himself closer. Hinawa let out a soft chuckle, patting him on the back.

“Hey, I’m not going anywhere. You’ll be ok.”

Claus let go, looking up at her with watery eyes.

“Promise...?”

“Promise. Now, lets go somewhere more comfortable. The kitchen floor is not an idea sleeping place if you ask me.”

She stood up, taking him by the hand and slowly led him over to the couch, taking a seat. Claus quickly cuddled up next to her, his mechanizations freezing to the touch. He was shivering, the warmth of the nearby fireplace doing little to heat the ginger up. Hinawa reached behind him, grabbed one of the blankets stacked up on the back of the couch, and draped it over Claus. He nestled himself in the soft fabric of the blanket, tucking it in as best he could. His vision lazily shifted to where the tree was, the colorful lights and ornaments creating a prismatic display of colors on the ceiling. His gaze became entranced on the display, the colors glittering in the darkness. His mind calmed down, the prior horrors of his nightmare fading away. The mere presence of his mother made him feel safe enough to drift off, but the still looming thought of yet another nightmare kept him awake. Every time he was about to drift off, he would quickly wake back up. Eventually, he grew too tired to keep waking back up, his body weakened and exhausted. A soothing lullaby reached his ears, sung by his mother. The melody wrapped around his tired mind, lulling it into a serene state. Claus laid his head against his mother, his eyes closing. Sleep beckoned to his tired mind, slowly taking ahold of him. The lullaby faded into the depths of his dreams, leaving him in a peaceful slumber. Hinawa looked over to see her son happily dozing away. She slowly lifted him up, bundling him up in the blanket, and carried him upstairs. She laid him down in his bed, tucked him in, and placed a small kiss on his forehead. As she was about to leave, she waved a hand towards the nightstand, small crystals forming into the shape of a vase. Small sunflowers twisted up and out of the vase, coated in a glistening snow. She smiled, walked out of the room, downstairs, and left a few gifts under the tree. She knelt down, her body glowing and fading from view, leaving a small circle of flowers in her place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it, the last chapter of this year. DON'T WORRY I'M NOT DONE WRITING THIS STORY YET!! I'm just amazed with myself for still writing for this long. I hope everyone has a merry Christmas, a happy Hanukkah, and a wonderful new year. I'll see you all next year!


	16. Feverish... Again.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claus gets sick again but Lucas also gets sick so now they both suffer. :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FIRST CHAPTER OF THE DECADE!!
> 
> Hi, sorry this took so long. I was planning on this being a short chapter (clearly it wasn't) and I've been dealing with writers block as of late, so this is a a bit rushed. HOWEVER, I have overcome most of the block and have a perfect idea for the next chapter!
> 
> A L S O: I've been thinking about starting a side project. A fic based on Mother 1/Earthbound Beginnings. It'll follow the same oneshot based writing style, just with the OG mother gang rather than the Mother 3 gang. Let me know if any of ya'll would like to see that and If people want it, I'll get to work!
> 
> Now, onto chapter 16!

Chimera of Light, a Mother 3 fanfic

Chapter 16: Feverish... Again.

“Stop coughing, I’m trying to sleep...”

“I would if I didn’t have bronchitis.”

“You took medicine.”

“And you expect that to help-“

Another coughing fit ensued and Lucas groaned, rolling over and covering his ears with his pillow. Somehow, both of them had gotten sick. Claus blamed it on staying awake for 2 nights straight with no sleep and getting no breaks, on top of having the sniffles, and Lucas blamed it on Claus still being contagious and coughing on him by accident. Nonetheless, the two were stuck in bed for the day due to the severity of their illnesses, and were being taken care of by Kumatora and Duster. Flint had business with the villagers, which meant he couldn’t care for them until he got back. Both twins had fevers, Claus had nearly lost his breakfast, Lucas was nauseated, Claus couldn’t stop coughing, and both almost hated being stuck in the same bed next to each other. On one hand, Lucas had been trying to sleep to get some much needed rest. One the other, Claus refused to sleep and wanted to try and work on a few documents he’d forgotten about. The result was frequent arguments about who needed to shut up more.

“Claus, please just try to rest.”

“No- I-“

Claus struggled to get the words out between coughing fits, eventually settling for just waiting it out. Once his fit finally died down, he took a deep breath, and groaned.

“I’m not tired. Plus, I’ve got all these documents I’ve neglected to work on, so I need to finish those.”

He pointed his pen at Lucas and continued filling in the documents strewn about the bed. Lucas rolled over, letting go off the pillow and relaxing. He nearly dozed off until Claus went into another fit, startling the blonde. He sat up, crossing his arms.

“Alright, how do I sedate him. There’s gotta be something I can sedate him with, right?”

“Why would you want to sedate me?”

“TO KEEP YOU QUIET!”

The house erupted into laughter. Claus rolled his eyes, waving a dismissive hand as he filled out another document.

“I’m practically immune to sedatives, Lucas. A tranquilizer dart made for an elephant would probably bring me down, but a single weak baby sedative would do nothing.”

Lucas smirked and pointed a PSI envelopes finger at his twin. Tiny swirls spun around Claus’s vision, making him dizzy.

“Says the twin who falls asleep at the lightest form of Hypnosis.”

Claus batted away the spirals in his vision, the PSI turning into a faint haze that dissipated in seconds.

“You’re one to talk. Duster can knock you out with the Hypno-Pendulum in seconds!”

“You both are equally susceptible to that tool and you both know it.”

Duster twirled a wall staple in his hand, glancing over at the ill-stricken twins. Claus looked far more pale than usual, a blanket loosely draped over his shoulders. Lucas was even more pale, and seemed to be more ill than Claus at this point. He never did well when sick, probably since he was so malnourished for so long. The best defense Lucas could think of was to just sleep for as long as possible and hope that sleep would fix the majority of his problems. However, with Claus sick, Lucas wasn’t going to get sleep anytime soon.

“Fair point, but I’m still less susceptible to Hypnosis, Lucas.”

Claus smirked, clearly holding back a coughing fit, and returned to his work. The scent of chicken noodle soup reached his senses, the tantalizing thought of being able to eat making his stomach grumble. His nausea had been keeping his appetite down since early that morning, preventing him from even so much as thinking about food. His nausea was somewhat better, quelled enough to stomach a few saltine crackers, but he doubted the idea of eating a piping hot bowl of delectable soup.

“Alright, you two! Lunch is ready!”

Lucas pumped a fist into the air while Claus groaned. He pulled the blanket up and over his head, burying himself in his work. He felt the mattress shift, Lucas getting off and making his way over to the table. He peered out from his blanket shelter, catching sight of Kumatora, who was making her way towards him. He ducked back down into the blanket, hoping she wouldn’t notice.

“Claus, you’re not getting out of this. C’mon and eat. Don’t make me carry you over.”

She heard Claus mumble something under his breath, tucking the blankets around himself like it would offer some protection. He quickly found that Kumatora wasn’t in the mood for stalling, as she lifted him up, blanket and all, and hauled him over to the table with ease. Lucas held back his laughter, watching as Claus was forcibly carried to his seat.

“Lets not make this the same as last time, ‘kay?”

Kumatora turned and walked back to the kitchen, retrieving 4 bowls of hot soup, setting them before each seat and its occupant before seating herself. Lucas happily dug in while Claus outright refused. Despite the delectable scent he managed to pick up on, nausea still got the best of him. He could see Kumatora giving him a glare from the corner of his eye, but that didn’t stop him from refusing to eat. Lucas perked up from his bowl, tilting his head to the side.

“What’s wrong? Do you not like it or something?”

Claus grumbled and pushed his bowl away from him. He felt a tick of regret hit him when he picked up on the scent of the soup. The longer he had to smell it, the worse he felt.

“I’m not hungry.”

Kumatora raised an eyebrow, leaning in with her spoon pointed directly at Claus.

“That’s a lie. You’ve got nauseated hunger and that’s why you won’t eat. Take a couple bites and try to tell me otherwise. Oh, and don’t think I can’t see that little bit of guilt on your face.”

Claus went blank for a moment before he turned to look away, embarrassed. Kumatora smirked, sitting back down. Claus slowly tugged his bowl closer to himself and ate a small spoonful. His eyes slowly lit up, his body now desperately hungry. It took all his will to not shovel food into his mouth. Slowly, he devoured his bowl, making sure to get every last bit of soup. It made him feel so much better to have something in his stomach.

Kumatora was right. I was just nauseatedly hungry.

Once everyone finished, the twins were helped back to bed, Claus being physically carried while Lucas merely support so he could successfully hobble back to the sanctuary that was their bed. After being set down, Claus went right back to work, hurriedly returning to his papers and documents he hated. He’d taken the entire week off for Christmas, and his work piled up while he was away. He could tell that he needed sleep, considering he was perpetually exhausted from coughing up a lung all day. Everyone could tell how much he needed even just a few hours of sleep, yet he refused to go down until he’s finished his work. He had only a few documents left to complete, and he was determined to finish what he’d started. Kumatora silently turned to Duster and leaned in, her hand cupped over her mouth to stop the twins from picking up on her conversation.

“Before they nap, I gotta give them medicine.”

“Ok, and?”

“Only problem: Claus. He’s gonna fight me again, I just know it.”

“What about Lucas?”

“He’s good about medicine. He’ll put up a small fight, but he knows when to throw in the towel.”

“Alright. You’re gonna need my help with the other one?”

“Most likely.”

“Alright. Just give the word.”

Kumatora turned and went for the cabinets, grabbing a bottle of cold medicine and a spoon. Claus caught her finishing up just as he signed off on the last paper. He put the papers on the nightstand and pulled the blanket tighter, cocooning himself. He watched as Kumatora walked towards them, two spoons perfectly levitating on either side of her. Duster was close behind, suspiciously keeping something hidden in his hand. Lucas perked up and looked over to Kumatora, his little smile fading.

“Sorry, but you both gotta take some medicine. It’ll help in the long run.”

As she closed in on the twins, Claus growled a little, his sharp teeth slightly showing.

“Hey! Don’t you growl at me! I’m not threatening the death penalty! Jeez.”

Claus stopped growling but didn’t let up on his stubbornness. He scooted away from Kumatora, eyes narrowed. Lucas seemed to notice and chimed in.

“Do I have to take it?”

“Yes, you have to.”

“But do I have to?”

“Lucas, you have to.”

“Aww... ok.”

Lucas hung his head, a tiny pout on his face, but he quickly perked back up. With a reluctant sigh, he opened his mouth, shutting his eyes.

“Ok, just make it fast.”

Kumatora smiled, one spoonful of medicine levitating into her hand.

“I gotcha. Ready? One... Two... THREE!”

Kumatora thrust the spoon into the blonde’s mouth, and in a split second, he swallowed it. Kumatora ruffled his hair, giving him a thumbs up. She turned and glared daggers into Claus, the second spoon levitating to her hand.

“Alright, your turn. Let’s make this easier than last time, yeah?”

Claus glared back. He hated taking medicine. Although he knew it was good for him, he still hated it, mainly due to the taste. His senses had been heightened when he became a chimera, which also resulted in taste being heightened, making the already nasty flavor even worse. If he could avoid it, he absolutely would, but Kumatora had him cornered. He tucked his knees to his chest and stuck his tongue out at her.

“Nope. Not happening.”

Kumatora sighed annoyedly and moved in closer.

“Three chances; take the medicine.”

“Nope.”

“Take it.”

“No thanks!”

“Last chance. Take the damn medicine or we’re doing this the hard way.”

“I. Said. No.”

Claus adamantly smirked, awaiting whatever this supposed “hard way” was. He heard Kumatora whisper something to Duster, making sure Claus couldn’t hear.

“Alright, we’ll do it the hard way. Duster, you’re up.”

Claus scoffed, confident nothing was going to happen, so confident that he didn’t think to realize what said hard way was. In seconds, he went from stone cold to struggling to not laugh. This “hard way” Kumatora had threatened was the same thing she’d threatened the previous time he’d gotten sick, just this time, he didn’t bother to see the warning signs. He could tell what Kumatora was trying to do. If he broke, she just shove the medicine right down his throat and that’d be the end of it. Claus attempted to squirm away, only getting himself caught in a nearly defenseless position. Duster had taken ahold of Claus’s right arm and gone in for the kill. Claus shrieked as the dreaded tickle stick made contact with his underarm, officially breaking him. In one swift movement, Kumatora managed to get the spoon into Claus’s mouth before he squirmed far enough away. The second Kumatora got the spoon in the gingers mouth, Duster let up. Before Kumatora could finally admit victory, Claus bit down, preventing Kumatora from actually taking the spoon back.

“Oh you’ve gotta be kidding me.”

She tugged on the handle, failing to do anything more than make Claus move forwards a tiny bit.

“Claus, let go of the spoon.”

“No!”

Claus bit down harder. He was adamant on preventing her from getting back the spoon he now had, like a puppy unwilling to give up their toy.

“Claus, let go or I’m gonna sick Duster on you again.”

Claus thought about it, reviewed the process of what would happen, and then let go.

“Fine...”

The taste of medicine still lingered in his mouth, leaving a dissatisfied feeling in his gut. Sure, the medicine was absolutely going to help, but that didn’t stop him from hating it. The little pat on the head Kumatora gave him didn’t help matters either. He had no urge to rest, nor did he feel like sleeping, while Lucas was happy to go down for a nap. Claus was left lying there, completely silent, staring at the ceiling.

_“Hey, can’t sleep?”_

The voice of the Masked Man calmly crept into the front of his mind.

_“Can I ever?”_

_“Well you don’t have to get snippy like that. I know you’re upset, it’s understandable when you’re sick.”_

_“I fear I’m gonna have nightmares again. I’ve been having them much more frequently, which is probably bad.”_

_“It really is. You could talk to your brother about it, right?”_

_“Yeah, but he’s sleeping.”_

_“And the others?”_

_“Talking and not paying attention.”_

_“Ah, well, Lucas doesn’t seem lost in a particularly good dream, so I don’t think it’d be a problem.”_

_“Alright...”_

Claus turned onto his side and gently pushed Lucas, hoping he’d wake up. Slowly, Lucas turned over, half asleep.

“Why’d you wake me up...?”

Claus fumbled with the cord connecting his arm to his neck, still a bit guilty for waking up his brother.

“I can’t sleep. I’m scared I’m gonna have nightmares again...”

Lucas smiled and pulled Claus into a hug, nuzzling himself into his twins shoulder.

“Don’t get all worked up about it... I’ll be right here... just snoozing away...”

Claus couldn’t help but laugh a bit. Lucas was never good at staying awake after being woken up during a nap or mid-sleep. He was always a little slurred speech-wise or was adorably cuddly. Either way, Claus didn’t care. As long as he could sleep, he was fine with whatever Lucas was doing. He curled up, sighing, and shut his eyes, hoping that the mere prospect of safety beside his brother would lull him to sleep.

~~~{+}~~~

“Claus, wake up!”

“Mngh... Five more minutes...”

“Claus, you’ve had 15 minutes more already.”

“Then let’s make it 20...”

Kumatora grabbed ahold of the blankets and threw them off the ginger, holding them well out of reach.

“Up.”

“Whyyyyyyy? I’m tired...”

Claus sat up, coughing a bit when he realized he was too stuffed up to breathe through his nose.

“Because you’ve been snoozing since lunch. I’m halfway done with dinner!”

Kumatora threw the blankets back at Claus and walked right back to the kitchen, leaving Claus with a heap of blankets over his head. As he pulled them off, he noticed Lucas wasn’t next to him, which made him panic for a moment, but when he saw him sitting on the floor with Boney not far from the fireplace, he relaxed. His cough had seemingly gone away and he was far less nauseous than earlier that day, which was nice, since Claus was fed up with being sick. The stuffiness, the dreaded feeling of nausea, and the amount of headaches he’d get in the span of a day was almost torturous.

“At least I’m doing better...”

He pushed off the bed, soundly landing on his feet. He could feel the mechanical joints and parts in his legs spring to life, which was a good sign. Sure, his arm still wasn’t in the best of shape, but that was a minor inconvenience. He could live without the use of one arm for a little bit.

_“Finally awake, are we?”_

_“And that’s a problem?”_

_“No, it’s just that you sleep like a dead person. You didn’t move at all. For a moment, I thought you really were dead!”_

_“Ha ha, real funny, asshat. I only sleep like a dead person because I rarely sleep at all.”_

_“Oh, well that’s a lie. You sleep all the time, you just don’t always notice it.”_

_“I think I’d remember passing out in the middle of work.”_

_“But have you ever thought about the idea that I could quite possibly take control when you become too tired? It’s such a subtle change that you don’t notice it. The only thing you notice is that you’re far less tired afterwards, right?”_

_“Wait, don’t tell me you can actually do that.”_

_“I can. I try not to, it is technically a form of possession after all and I don’t like to invade without a good reason, but I have done it more than once.”_

Claus groaned at the thought that the little voice in his head could physically manipulate his exhausted body whenever he felt like it.

_“And how many times have you done this?”_

_“Only a few, usually during crunch time. You work yourself so hard you just pass out right there on your desk, and I decided that, instead of having to listen to you get lightly scolded for late work, I’d just finish it myself. Right as you pass out, I take control. It’s so quick you don’t even notice it, and while you’re snoozing away, I’m finishing up work. By the time you’ve finished your little nap, I’ve just about finished, and you just think you were spacing out a little.”_

That part made it a little better for Claus. Sure, he still hated him, but at least he was making himself useful and not taking up space.

_“Thanks for helping, I guess...”_

_“You’re welcome.”_

With that, he was gone. Claus shrugged, arching his back to stretch it out. After quickly fixing his hair, he walked over to the kitchen, peeking in to see Kumatora standing over the stove, carefully cooking up omelets. The entire kitchen was fragrant with the scent of the upcoming dinner, leaving a warm, fuzzy feeling in Claus’s chest. Somehow, probably through Lucas, Kumatora had learned the family recipe for the omelets the twins loved so much. It was both nostalgic and heart breaking for Claus. On one end, he was happy to be able to eat the same homemade food he had as a little kid, but at the same time, it reminded him a little too much of Hinawa. He still hadn’t fully gotten over the fact that she was gone, he probably never would, and he wished that he could. Painful memories slowly resurfaced, turning the warm, fuzzy sensation into a sinking feeling in his gut. He turned tail and left, quietly sighing. He made his way to the window by his bed, looking out at the sunny landscape.

“Hey, you ok?”

Claus whipped around to see Duster standing behind him. He waved a dismissive hand and turned back to the window, trying to push down the painful memories that slipped into his head.

“I’m fine, just thinking.”

“About what?”

Claus paused, a twisted mix of sadness and regret on his face.

“...Mom.”

Silence sat between the two for a while, leaving an empty feeling.

“Why’s that?”

“I don’t know. Memories sparked up, and now she’s stuck in my head.”

Another pause.

“I miss her a lot, y’know. I feel like the reason she had to go was because of me. It wouldn’t be the first “accident” I’ve caused...”

Duster could see that Claus was visibly upset; his nails digging into his arm, the twisted expression that told more than it showed, his voice just slightly cracking between shaky breaths. It was almost a little reminiscent of how Lucas used to act. With even the slightest mention of his mother, he’d try to play it all off like he was just thinking, when in actuality, he was ready to break down and let every last bit of pain out.

“Hey, it’s ok.”

Duster pulled Claus into a hug, getting an immediate response. Claus turned and returned the gesture, his faint sobs muffled by Duster’s shirt. He ignored the fact that Claus had his nails jammed as far into Dusters back as humanly possible and didn’t seem keen on removing them anytime soon, and lifted him up, sitting down on the bed and lowering Claus onto his lap. The ginger shifted to accommodate the fact that he was sitting now rather than standing, but remained buried to muffle his crying. He was upset over more than just Hinawa at that point, as Duster managed to piece together based on Claus’s muffled sobbing and mumbling. The nightmares, the trauma that came along with, his own mother being gone, it all added up. Slowly, Claus calmed down, going from a crying mess to a tired, slightly sleepy child tucked in Dusters arms. He looked like a mess, and he felt like one too.

“Duster...?”

“What’s up?”

“...Can I take another nap? I’m... I’m really tired...”

Duster chuckled, scooting back so Claus could be more comfortable.

“Go ahead, you look like you need it.”

Claus gave a tiny smile and shifted a bit, laying back. He stretched out and then curled into a little ball, his face tucked by his knees. He felt a little more at ease now that he wasn’t bottling up so much, and found that sleep came fairly quick.

_“Aww, still sleepy?”_

_“Mhmm...”_

_“Well, I suppose it was only a matter of time before you broke down like that. You shouldn’t bottle stuff up like that. That’s what Lucas did, and you’ve seen how much it ruined him.”_

_“I guess...”_

_“Heavens, you’re slipping away already. Oh, don’t worry about nightmares, I’m 99% positive there won’t be any this time. Just... think positive. Maybe that’ll fend them off enough to ensure sweet dreams.”_

_“Sure thing...”_

With a smile, Claus drifted into a peaceful sleep, finally given the rest he deserved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the ending. Writers block got to me. The next chapter will be better I promise!
> 
> Again, I'd be willing to start that side project, but only if people want it. I wouldn't want to pump something out only for nobody to see it. It'll probably be less of a priority than Chimera of Light, but I WILL make more than a few chapters if ya'll want it.
> 
> Until next time!


	17. Luminescent Mushrooms and Fairy Forests

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claus winds up in over his head as he gets taken to a hidden place in Sunshine Forest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO AGAIN!!!
> 
> It actually hasn't been that long since my last chapter (amazing, isn't it?) and I'm actually really happy to be able to post this quickly! This one is reeeeeaaaalllyyy long, so I apologize in advance for the length. I'm really proud of this one, probably because it came out so well. It all felt really well structured. Anyways, I'll explain next project in the end notes since I'd rather have them there than here.
> 
> Onto Chapter 17!!!

Chimera of Light, a Mother 3 fanfic

Chapter 17: Luminescent Mushrooms and Fairy Forests

Rain pelted Claus as he sprinted through the muddy overgrowth. He had multiple scrapes and cuts from sharp bushes and a nasty bruise on his cheek from getting smacked by a tree branch, and he was pretty sure he seriously twisted his ankle when a root tripped him up. If he didn’t get out of the rain soon, something would short circuit and he’d be left in the middle of nowhere with no way of getting help. The canopy of leaves have some protection, but the rain was coming down so hard that the canopy wasn’t able to do much to stop it. He had tucked his right arm under his shirt in an effort to protect it while his left arm was thrown over his head to shield him from the rain. In a panic, he rounded a bush, stepping off the overgrown path and into the surrounding brush. After a few seconds of reckless running, he barreled straight into small cave, tripping over another root and tumbling to the ground. He winced as he pushed himself to his knees, falling back a bit. His ankle hurt too much to put weight on, and he was pretty sure he had hurt his other leg, leaving him stuck at the entrance to the cave. He felt something drip onto his leg, quickly realizing he had a bloody nose. He pulled his arm back into the sleeve of his slightly torn shirt and placed a hand over the blood to try and stop it. While it still trickled between his fingers, it helped stop it from pouring onto his clothes, which was a plus. Despite the cave being somewhat warm, it didn’t do much to get him back to a normal temperature. Stumbling, he pushed himself to his feet, unable to put any weight on his twisted ankle. Some branches were poking into the cave from trees just outside it. Claus twisted a metal ring on his arm, feeling it contort and change into his arm cannon, then fired a few lasers at the branches, throwing his arms over his head as weak protection from any that could fall on top of him. Once he was sure everything had hit the ground, he weakly hauled each branch over to where he had been sitting, laying them out in a haphazardly made pile. He readied another shot in his cannon arm, then rammed the end of it into the bottom of the pile. In seconds, a fire burst to life, embers flying all around him. Quickly, he pulled his arm out of the fire, crawled over to the entrance of the cave, and let the rain pelt his heated up arm, cooling it to a functional temperature. After that, he crawled back to the fire and huddled as close to is as possible, desperate for warmth in his current soaked state.

“I hope that storm doesn’t get any worse... I need to get home...”

Originally, Claus planned to make a solo trip out to the woods for a walk. He had an entire bag packed and ready for the trip in case he had to take time off to rest, which he did, but he never planned for a downpour. Dusk was approaching, and he was about to start heading back when the downpour started. It was weak and more or less a drizzle to begin with, easy enough for Claus to navigate, but it quickly turned for the worst. Thunder clouds rolled in and lightning struck a tree not far from the path he was on, and then he ran. He didn’t know how long he ran for or how far, but he knew he had gone deeper into the forest. The lightning strike caused multiple trees to block his path, and attempting to use his wings to fly over could’ve caused short circuiting long before he got past it, so he turned tail and ran for as long as possible, leading him to the cave, and to his current position. He was cold, soaked to the bone, and hungrier than ever before. He hadn’t eaten anything since that morning, and he didn’t have anything left in his bag that would sustain him.

“Who knew that this’d be the day I probably die out here?”

He picked up a tiny pebble beside him and chucked it into the fire, shielding his face from the spew of embers that followed. He wiped his nose, the blood finally having stopped, and wiped his hand on his leg, leaving smear marks of blood along his thigh. The heat of the fire helped get him warmer than before, but he still felt freezing. His damp shirt kept the cold clinging to his body, sucking the warmth from Claus’s fragile body. He was exhausted, being cold enough that he couldn’t keep going for much longer. He laid down, curled up, and hoped he wouldn’t be in pain when he awoke.

~~~{+}~~~

Claus slowly awoke to a bit of a jarring sight. He was nestled in a bed made of clumped together grass, head laid on a pillow of woven grass blades and stuffed with dried pulpy leaves, and tucked beneath a thick blanket of soft, sewn together leaves. He was warm and no longer in pain, silky bandages wrapped around any injuries he had. The fire he had started earlier than night was burning brightly, giving off comforting amounts of warmth. Stuck to a pole that was mounted over the flame was a slab of cooked meat, slathered in honey and crushed spices that dripped onto the flames below. Claus’s mouth watered at the sight. He quickly sat up, wrapping the blanket around himself, and carefully pulled the slab off the poles and onto the ground, the slab landing on part of the mat of grass he sat in. He tore off pieces, savoring each bite. It was the first thing of food he’d had since that morning, and it was delicious. It was sweet and practically melted in his mouth, the hint of spiciness only enhancing the delectable flavor. He was in bliss. Warmth, food, and some actually good rest for once, nothing could top it, especially in the situation he was in. He found that the rain had stopped, which was good, since he planned to try and make his way to a better shelter. He was thankful for whatever or whoever had given him a makeshift bed and a meal, but the cave was only so safe. Something could be lurking deep inside and was biding its time, waiting for a chance to strike. Claus wasn’t willing to take that chance, and once he finished eating, began to pack up to prepare for the journey towards home. Just as he was about to throw his bag over his shoulder and head out, something caught his eye. A sort of flickering light that pulled his focus away from leaving. He quickly became transfixed with the lights that hovered in his vision, watching as they danced and swirled in the darkness. They seemed to grow closer and closer, making Claus more and more sleepy. Then, the lights stopped, staying at a standstill just a few feet away from him. Something beckoned for him to come closer, a figure gesturing in the darkness, and Claus’s body began to move all on its own. His bag fell to the ground as he slowly moved forwards, not a single thought to even go back for it. After a few paces, the figure stopped him, slunk past, and went to grab his things. During that time, Claus lost the strength to keep his eyes open, practically falling asleep standing up.

_“What’s happening to me?! Why can’t I move? What did that thing do to me?! I-“_

_“Relax, will you?”_

_Standing right in front of him was the Masked Man, a finger pressed to his lips._

_“I don’t know why you’re panicking so badly. You’re not dying, nor are you hurt.”_

_“I CAN’T MOVE-!”_

_“-I can see that-“_

_“-AND I’M SUPPOSED TO BE CALM?! THIS THING COULD TRY TO KILL ME!”_

It was clear to the figure that Claus was beginning to snap out of the trance he was in, thanks to the little argument in his mind.

_“Oh, for goodness sake, you’re going to be fine.”_

_“I-“_

_“Listen. To. Me. That thing isn’t trying to hurt you, now is it? From what I could see, it went to grab your things for you. I think it’d have left them behind and focused more on the prey, wouldn’t it? You’re just going to hurt yourself, keeping this up. Just relax. Let it happen.”_

The Masked Man’s tone was almost sinister, something Claus didn’t pick up on. He had a reassuring, yet oddly confident smirk on his face, like he knew exactly what was going to happen. Claus seemed to relax, loosening up a bit.

_“There you go. See? Not so hard, now is it?”_

The figure had since slunk back around ahead of Claus, bag in hand, and noticed that he was slipping back down into the same trance from before. A small smile appeared on the figures face, almost satisfied with its work.

_“Why am I so tired...? I just got done sleeping...”_

_“It’s because you’re letting this happen, as you should be. Here, come with me. I’m sure I can find some way to help you stay a little more awake. Wouldn’t that be nice?”_

_Claus slowly nodded, rubbing his eye._

_“C’mon, I’ll lead, just stay close.”_

The Masked Man gently guided Claus through the void that was his mind, and after a few moments, Claus promptly collapsed, completely unconscious. It took the Masked Man by surprise, forcing him to catch the ginger before he slammed into the ground.

_“Oh jeez! I guess we crossed over the barrier then- urk!”_

He struggled to keep him upright long enough to get a better grip, then shifted and lifted him up, deciding to carry him rather than attempt to drag him.

_“That didn’t take long. I forgot that the conscious mind can’t stay awake on this side. Heh, I suppose I should’ve told him about that part. Too late now!”_

He hoisted him up a little more and began walking farther back, eventually settling on a spot that seemed relatively comfortable, setting him down and pulling a blanket out of thin air that he draped over the ginger.

_“Now then, I suppose it’s my turn to be in control. Sure, it won’t be as fun as when he willingly falls asleep, but it’ll be nice to see where this thing is taking us.”_

He looked back at Claus, who was still lost in slumber, and chuckled.

_“Sleep tight, kid. You’ll be up before you know it!”_

The figure tapped Claus on the head, just barely waking him up. He looked at the figure through half closed eyes that seemed to be looking elsewhere, despite staring straight ahead. His body was limp, yet somehow was still standing. He almost seemed to be half asleep. The figure smiled, stepped back, and beckoned for Claus to follow. Claus’s body began to move all on its own, sleepily following the figure. Every now and again, the figure would loosen their hold on Claus’s mind, letting him look around and take in the sight of the forest before redirecting him to the path ahead. The farther they walked, the more the forest changed. Bioluminescent mushrooms began popping up around trees and bushes, odd little flowers bloomed from every nook and cranny, and the trees seemed to grow taller and taller, stretching far above Claus’s restricted line of sight. The figure became more clear as well, allowing Claus to see that it wasn’t a human, but some other beast. It almost resembled an upside-down squid, but it was hard to tell in the dim light. It definitely had tentacles for arms, but only had 2 instead of however many Claus thought it would’ve had. Its body had small patterns on it that would’ve produced the flickering lights he saw earlier. Every so often, the patterns would light back up, softly glowing and flickering to keep him lost in his trance. It was odd, seeing him follow orders without question. Considering his past and his mindset against being mindlessly ordered around, it was strange to see him just do as he was told without a single thought otherwise. With what little cognitive thinking he had, he put together that it probably had something to do with the result of following the orders given. When Porky was brainwashing him, any failure to do as he was told resulted in painful shocks, and sometimes even doing what he was told would result in pain. However, whenever he followed the orders the figure gave him, he was rewarded with something as simple as a pat on the head to a small break from walking, being hoisted up onto the figures back for a bit while they walked. During that time, he’d either rest his eyes or take in the scenery, usually going for rest over sightseeing. When he had to continue walking, the figure would lightly tap his shoulder and stop so he could get down, then continue moving ahead. It wasn’t long before Claus had lost track of how much time had passed. He managed to keep track of the first few minutes, solely based on the internal clock he had in his left eye, but after that, he couldn’t figure out how long he’d been walking for. He assumed it was for a while, since they seemed to have traveled quite far, but he couldn’t be sure. He couldn’t get control over anything, besides when he was allowed to, and couldn’t find a way to consciously access his circuitry to find out how far he’d gone and how long it’d been since he was last fully conscious, leaving him with no concept of time or distance. The thought quickly faded from his mind, being replaced with the faint idea that he had no idea where he was. The forest they were walking through looked nothing like Sunshine Forest. Glowing mushrooms sprouted out of every nook and cranny, some of them being as tall as regular trees, small flowers bloomed along bushes surrounding the path, trees stood higher than Claus had ever seen before, and everything seemed almost whimsical, like a page ripped right from a fairytale. How had he never seen this place before? He was sure he’d explored every last spot of Sunshine Forest, and considering the size of the trees here, there was no possible way he could’ve missed this. The only other option was that this trance he was stuck in wasn’t just messing with his body, it was also messing with his head, causing him to hallucinate or see illusions made by the figure guiding him. Whatever the case, it was too confusing of a subject to keep thinking about.

Claus suddenly came to a halt, the figure gesturing for him to stop. The two stood at the entrance to a clearing, most of which Claus couldn’t make out in his field of vision. The figure moved closer, lifting up Claus’s chin to meet his half closed eyes. The figure smiled and let Claus’s head slowly fall back down. The figure carefully tapped Claus on the nose, and he went limp, miraculously still on his feet, but completely unconscious. The figure silently moved into the darkness of the forest, keeping a close eye on Claus as they moved, snapped one tentacle like a whip, then disappeared. The second the sound reached Claus’s ears, he shot awake.

“What the-! Wait...”

He found he was fully conscious and could move all on his own again. In a brief moment of joy, he pumped a fist towards the sky, and then promptly realized he had no idea where he was or how he’d gotten there.

“Hold on, where the hell even am I?!”

Confused, he went to reach for his bag to find something he could use to send a signal for help, but found his bag to be nowhere on him.

“Hey, what happened to my stuff?!”

He turned, spotted two glowing eyes, the light of which barely illuminating a bag that this creature seemed to be holding. Almost immediately, Claus recognized the bag; it was his. Almost as if it knew Claus was onto it, the creature dipped back into the darkness, running off with Claus’s bag. Claus took no time breaking into a sprint after it.

“GIVE ME BACK MY STUFF!!”

The creature was much faster than Claus, zipping around tight corners and ducking through deep undergrowth with ease. It didn’t take long for Claus to lose sight of the creature, and it took even less time for him to realize that he’d just got himself more lost. With a groan, he sat down, utterly defeated. He attempted one final plan; using his circuitry and internal systems to find his way back, but found they were mysteriously jammed and couldn’t load something as simple as an internal clock. A meek whimper escaped Claus’s lips as he curled up and laid his head on his knees. He wanted to cry. All hope was lost. He had no supplies, no food, no water, and no way of getting home.

“I’m gonna be stuck out here for the rest of my life...”

Claus buried himself farther into his knees, holding back tears. He was scared and alone, stuck in the middle of a small clearing with nobody who would find him. The feeling of fear and anxiety from being alone became too much, tears spilling over his cheek, meek whimpers and quieted cries slipping out into the silence of the forest. He sat there, his body shaking as he quietly sobbed into the emptiness of the forest, for quite some time, but his cries didn’t go unnoticed. Little creatures that clung to flowers began to pop up in the surrounding bushes, cautiously watching from afar. A few ran back into the forest while the rest made their way over to Claus, checking to see if he was alright. A few brave ones picked tiny flowers from the grass and placed them in his hair, which got his attention. He just barely lifted his head, enough to see over his knees, and was able to make out a few tiny little creatures hovering in front of him. Two of them were tiny, no bigger than 4 inches, and the other looked to be around double the size of the other two. The creatures were hanging onto vibrant flowers, with the two smaller ones clinging to the center of the flower and the larger one holding it like a parasol. He lowered his head back into his knees, shakily sighing.

“I doubt any of you can help me get home...”

“Are you lost?”

“Mhmm...”

The larger of the three hovered onto Claus’s shoulder, wiping a tear off his cheek.

“How’d you end up here?”

Claus shifted and aggressively wiped his eye, leaving a small red mark.

“I... I was lost in the forest and I saw some flickering lights. I couldn’t take my eyes off them, and the next thing I knew, I was here... I don’t know what happened in between... I had a bag with me, but it’s gone...”

Claus sniffled, sitting up a little, his head no longer buried in his knees.

“Let me guess, it took your stuff as well?”

“Yep...”

“Of course he did... Listen, I know who took your stuff, but I don’t know where they went. We can lead you back to where we all came from and look for him there! Sound like a plan?”

Claus looked over to see the creature extending a tiny hand, a smile on their face. Claus gave a slow nod and carefully shook their hand, taking care as to not crush them.

“Then it’s settled! Follow me! Everyone else, help him out!”

The creature flew off Claus’s shoulder and over to a small opening in the bushes, waving their flower so he could see. The others that came along with them hovered around Claus, some still decorating his hair with flowers, acting as a secondary guide. The larger creature waited until Claus had caught up before hovering alongside him, leading him along.

“By the way, my name’s Pansy! What’s yours?”

“It’s Claus, nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too!”

She smiled with enough joy to light up the entire forest. It made Claus feel just a little bit better, knowing that he had a chance to get his stuff back, and maybe even find a way home. Pansy seemed nice enough, going as far as to introduce herself and even try to help him find his stuff. He was willing to trust her, at least for the time being. She led him along a path dotted with mushrooms and into what appeared to be a small village. Houses were built out of toadstools and decorated with flowers of all kinds. It seemed to be quite populated, considering the fact that the friends of Pansy had to crowd around him and drag him along to make sure he didn’t get taken by the crowds of creatures. Everything had patterns that glowed in the dark, giving the village a colorful light. The farther they got into the village, the more creatures seemed to notice that Claus looked nothing like them. Some began to stop him and compliment him, specifically his hair. Among every creature he briefly talked with, they all focused on his hair. At first, he thought he had styled it a certain way that caught attention, but found that couldn’t be the answer, since he mostly just left his hair unkept. He did find, however, that they were fixated on the color. It became almost scary, seeing as so many creatures were beginning to fawn over him.

“Hey, Pansy?”

“What’s up sweetie?”

“Why is everyone so... interested in me?”

She turned, a curious grin on her face.

“What do you mean?”

“They’re just... really interested in my hair. I don’t see why... I don’t ever do anything special with it, and it’s a little grungy...”

Pansy hovered closer, stopping them in their tracks. Her voice dropped to a whisper, just barely audible to Claus.

“I should’ve told you earlier, and I’m sorry I didn’t, but it’s the color. Redheads and gingers are seen as people of power to regular humans and the fae. It’s due to old legends of powerful red headed fairies and witches. As for around here, you’re kinda seen as a prince-“

“IM SEEN AS WHAT-“

Pansy quickly clamped her flower over his mouth, silencing him. She looked around, making sure the shout didn’t attract any sudden attention, then sighed in relief.

“Keep your voice down! We already brought enough attention in, we don’t need more!”

She paused, lifting her flower off Claus’s mouth, a big splotch of pollen in its place.

“Sorry, I just don’t want you to get swarmed. It’s been quite some time since we last got a redhead like you, and people will flock to you like moths to flame.”

Claus nodded in nervous agreement. He followed Pansy around a bend and into what appeared to be a boutique. Standing at the counter was a creature that resembled an upside-down squid. Almost immediately, Claus recognized the figure. He gently tugged at Pansy’s flower, trying to get her attention.

“Pansy! Pansy! Thats what brought me here!”

He pointed at the creature, voice a harsh whisper. Pansy nodded and leaned in, using her flower as cover.

“I know. His name is Ragnarok. He’s got a habit of doing what he did to you, just not with taking someone’s stuff. I’m not sure I can get you home, but I’ll see if I can get your stuff back. Just stay behind me and the others, ok?”

Claus hesitantly nodded, sticking behind Pansy as she hovered towards the squid-like creature.

“Ragnarok! We need to talk!”

Her tone went from cheery to vicious in seconds. The creature turned, his eyes narrowing as he saw Pansy.

“Well, if it isn’t Pansy. What exactly do you need me for?”

“I need you to give back his stuff. Now.”

Ragnarok scoffed, lifting a tentacle to cover his beak.

“Really? Is that it? How cute. I didn’t think a little flower fairy and her teensy friends would be that upset over a backpack!”

He cackled, holding out Claus’s backpack for him to take.

“Go ahead, you can have it, if you can grab it!”

Just as Claus went to grab it, Ragnarok lifted it just out of reach, watching as Claus struggled to try and get to it.

“This isn’t a game, Ragnarok! Give it back! You’ve caused enough trouble already!”

He didn’t bother to look at Pansy, more focused on the fact that Claus was struggling to get to the backpack that was mere inches away from his fingertips. He slid the backpack onto one of his head tentacles and grabbed ahold of Claus’s chin, lifting it so he could meet his eyes, chuckling as Claus tried to pry him off.

“You know, I didn’t do all this for fun. I brought you here for a reason. Maybe you don’t get it, but I’m sure little Pansy does, or at least, she would if she put that pea-sized brain of hers to use.”

He leaned back, still holding the backpack well out of reach.

“I’m not heartless, and I definitely don’t plan on keeping this thing forever, but I doubt you’ll get it back tonight. You’ve got important duties coming up, I believe, which means you’ve got no time for this old thing.”

Pansy flew around to try and grab the backpack, only to be snatched up and held far away from it.

“Then when the hell are you gonna give it up?!”

Ragnarok looked appalled at the statement, shaking his head.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Such a foul mouthed fairy! You should learn to watch what you say around others, my dear. As for when I’ll give it back, I’d say... possibly tomorrow.”

“TOMORROW?!”

“You heard me, Pansy. Now then, I’d advise you check in with Noir and Lilac. They’ll steer this poor little child in the right direction.”

He let go of them and slipped past before either of them could stop him, slipping out the door and into the crowds. Pansy slammed her flower to the floor and floated down onto Claus’s shoulder, face red with anger. Claus rubbed his chin, a bit sore from the tight grip he was in.

“I can’t believe him.”

Claus gently brushed himself off and picked up Pansy’s flower, straightening out the smushed petals.

“It’s ok, Pansy. You tried your best.”

He finished straightening out the petals and handed out back to Pansy, who promptly took it and swung it over her shoulder.

“I know, but I didn’t get your stuff back. That was the whole point...”

Claus stood up, turning to leave, but Pansy stopped him.

“Hold on, he mentioned Noir and Lilac, and they’ve got a better grip on his stupid plans than I do. Follow me.”

She hovered off his shoulder, leading him to the back of the boutique, through a small hallway, and into a much larger back room. Pansy floated around the room, no sign of the two she’d mentioned.

“Noir? Lilac? You two back here?”

“Pansy?”

A figure wearing a what looked like a black dress with a cobalt blue top, hair a similar shade of blue with a bright streak of orange, walked out from behind one of the many closets scattered about the room. She was around Claus’s height, maybe an inch or so taller, considering she had to glance down a bit to make eye contact.

“Who’s this?”

She pointed at Claus, gaze turning to Pansy.

“This is Claus. Ragnarok brought him here for some reason he refused to explain. He mentioned you and Lilac, specifically that you would know more about it.”

She cupped her cheeks with her hands, gasping.

“No wonder! He brought a sweet little redhead! We haven’t seen one in years! Oh, Lilac will be thrilled!”

She paused, picking up on the slightly annoyed look on Pansys face.

“Oh! I’m sorry, I should introduce myself!”

She curtseyed, her dress flowing outwards elegantly.

“I’m Noir, one of the stylists here at the boutique. Me and Pansy are good friends.”

Claus hesitantly nodded in response, offering a small smile. Pansy seemed satisfied, giving a tiny thumbs up.

“I was wondering if you could help us out, Noir. You and Lilac know more about what Ragnarok does than me, and I need help getting his stuff back.”

She motioned to Claus with her flower. Noir tapped her chin, lost in thought for a moment, before giving a snap of her fingers.

“Well, you know he never holds onto things like that for very long. Did he say he would give it back?”

“He said tomorrow, but I can’t trust that.”

“Then you’ll have it back by tomorrow. Despite how shady he is, he sticks to his word. When he says tomorrow, he means it.”

“Ok, so what about him dragging Claus here? He never gave a reason for it.”

“Pansy, do you remember what happened last time he dragged a redhead out here?”

Pansy paused, considering the thought.

“We held a big ceremony, right?”

“Yep. And it was in celebration of-“

Noir paused, gesturing for Pansy to finish the thought.

“The redheaded lineage. A line of royalty that worked closely with the fae, all of which were redheaded. What’s so important about-“

She stopped, her expression twisting from confused to a regretful realization.

“Oh, please don’t tell me you’re-“

“I am!”

Pansy put her face into her hands, groaning.

“Noir, you can’t just do that to a kid! This would take ages to explain! How the hell are you even going to pull this off?!”

Noir smiled and clapped her hands together, clearly ready with some extravagant idea.

“With help from some close friends, including you! It’ll be perfect!”

Claus looked utterly confused, gaze flipping between Pansy and Noir.

“Uh, sorry if I’m interrupting anything but, what exactly are you going to do?”

Noir’s eyes lit up with excitement. She grabbed Claus’s hands and leaned in.

“You’re going to get the night of your life, that’s what! Pansy, go take him to the chair in the back and wait for me! I’ll be back in a sec!”

She let go and ran around a corner.

“Lilac! Come here! I’ve got wonderful news!!”

Claus looked over at Pansy, who looked like she was going to drag him right out of that boutique.

“Pansy?You ok...?”

“I’m fine, I just wish she’d let me have a say before throwing us into this.”

She let out an exasperated sigh.

“Cmon, lets go.”

She led him to the back of the room, hovering onto the back of a tree stump chair. It had a high back, which was covered in a cushiony moss, branches curling up to form decorative designs at the top. The seat had a big cushion of moss or leaves, Claus couldn’t tell which, and was held up by intertwining roots of the trunk. On the wall was a mirror with flowered vines wrapping around the frame, all of which seemed to give off a faint glow. It looked drastically different to the other chairs, all of which were a basic, plain, high back tree stump chair with minor cushioning.

Why do I feel like this is going to end badly?

Claus stayed on the edge of the carpet around the chair, his legs refusing to move any further. Pansy noticed and motioned for him to come and sit.

“I know, it’s blatantly over the top. I’ll explain once those two get back. Just sit down.”

Claus didn’t move.

“Look, I’ve done this before. There’s nothing that’s going to strap you down or trap you. Nothings going to come out and knock you out, none of that. It’s just a really over the top chair for occasions like this. Again, I’ll explain once those two come back. Oh, you should probably take your shoes off for this. They’ll get you some special ones.”

Claus slowly pulled his sneakers off and cautiously walked to the chair, sitting down. The cushion was surprisingly soft and springy, as Claus found himself sinking into a comfortable spot in the cushion. The back of the chair was thick and fluffy, enveloping Claus as he leaned back. He felt a bit more at ease when he got comfortable, letting the mossy chair cradle him. He became so cozy that he started to doze off, eyes fluttering shut for just a moment.

“Claus, are you back there?”

“That’s his name?”

“Mhmm, whats wrong with it?”

“Nothing! I’ve never heard of it before.”

Claus shot up at the sudden sound of talking. He rubbed his eye and tried to make it look like he didn’t just doze off a moment ago.

“Y-yeah! I’m back here!”

He tucked his hands into his lap, staring down at the floor. Noir came running over, dragging someone else behind her.

“Lilac, this is Claus! Claus, this is my friend, Lilac. She’s been working with me for years.”

Lilac smiled and bowed. She resembled Pansy in a few ways, mainly the head, which were almost identical. Her head was surrounded by a mess of varying purple flowers, some of which draped down to her shoulders. She had similar patterns to both Noir and Pansy, all of which had a glow, just like the others.

“Pleasure you meet you.”

Claus gave a hesitant nod. He noticed that Noir had a whole bag of what looked like makeup. Flowers stuck out of the bag haphazardly along with brushes and some other little decorative items Claus couldn’t identify. He caught sight of Pansy leaning in, her parasol over her face.

“Don’t freak out. They’re not gonna drench you in makeup and stuff. Noir just carries everything in one bag and it gets stuffed over the brim. They won’t do anything crazy to you, I promise.”

She winked at him and sat back on the branch she’d sat herself on. Claus was still visibly nervous, watching Noir and Lilac begin to unload their things and prepare for whatever they were about to do. Lilac pulled out a brush, carefully brushing out Claus’s hair. Claus instantly relaxed, leaning back into the chair once more. He always loved having his hair brushed, even before he got his chimera enhancements. It was a soothing thing to him, and became even more soothing after he got his chimera enhancements. It wasn’t fun getting the copious amounts of snarls and tangles out of his hair, leading to him yelping and pulling away, but the end result, which was what appeared to be happening now, was always something he’d sit still for. He heard Lilac giggle, entertained.

“Someone’s enjoying themselves, aren’t they?”

Claus hummed in response.

“So, Claus, where’d you come from? I’m curious.”

“Tazmily Village. It’s out by the ocean and backs up to Sunshine Forest.”

“Wait, Tazmily? I swear I’ve heard of it.”

Pansy scooted off her branch and onto Claus’s shoulder, intrigued.

“It’s a big place. People now know it as the home of the one and only Masked Man.”

“Do you know this guy?”

“Well, that guy is me.”

“Really?”

“Yep. Kinda hate the title, if I’m being honest. I prefer my actual name nowadays.”

Pansy leaned in more, tapping the faceplate Claus had.

“Is that where this thing came from?”

“Partially. I got attacked by a Drago and nearly lost my life over it, which is why I’m missing that part to begin with. A group of people called the Pigmasks found me, gave me mechanical prosthetics, and then proceeded to brainwash me. I got all the mechanical parts from them.”

Pansy cringed at hearing Claus was brainwashed.

“Let me guess, they used you for nasty stuff?”

“Mhmm. I’m not like that anymore, though. Got some common sense slapped into me and I’m all back to normal.”

Pansy sighed, relieved.

“Good to hear.”

Claus smirked, opening his mechanical eye to meet her gaze.

“What, did you expect me to be some vicious beast?”

“No! You’re too soft to be evil!”

Claus’s smirk turned into a mischievous smile, his sharpened teeth poking out.

“Maybe I still am evil... RAAR!”

He slightly lunged in his seat, spooking Pansy right off his shoulder. She huffed angrily and hovered back onto his shoulder, her flower pressed against his cheek to hide his smile from her.

“C’mon, Pansy! I was only playing!”

Pansy rolled her eyes, lifting her flower off his cheek.

“Sure you were.”

Lilac gave Claus a gentle tap on the head with the brush, giving him a slightly judgmental look.

“Be nice to Pansy. She’ll help you out more if you’re nice.”

“Help me more with what?”

“The little fun and games you’ll be a part of tonight.”

Claus looked confused.

“What?”

“Oh, nevermind. It’s a surprise.”

Claus pouted, crossing his arms. He heard Lilac giggle, clearly amused.

“Cheer up, it’ll be fun! I just can’t say what it’ll look like yet. Heck, you’re going to get a front row seat! There’s no point in me explaining it when you’ll just see it up front!”

He could feel something being tied to the back of his head, he opened his eyes and found a flower crown was being gingerly tied around his head, and little bracelets made of flowers were wrapped around his wrists. His hair looked much nicer, tangle-free and cleaned up, and was dotted with small flowers. He also noticed a mossy cape had been draped over his shoulders, the little clasp made of a vine and flower. He had also been given shoes that were much comfier than his previous ones, decorated with more flowers and tied with thin vines.

“Whoa...”

“Do you like it? It’ll be the attire for tonight.”

Claus nodded. Lilac took his hand and helped him to his feet, leading him to a little door at the very back wall.

“The show should start soon, considering the fact that Noir should’ve let everyone know...”

“I did!”

Noir came bounding over, taking ahold of Claus’s free hand. She opened the door and Claus was led through it and into a tunnel, dimly lit by bioluminescent mushrooms. He could hear what sounded like an audience chattering excitedly. Instead of walking through the tunnel straight ahead, they took a sharp left and led him through a smaller, much more covered tunnel. After a quick walk, the emerged before a massive clearing. Surrounding the clearing were rows of seats, filled with creatures from all over the village. Right in front of him was a beautifully decorated throne of sorts, which Claus was asked to sit in. It was much larger than the boutique seat he was in prior to, and was much more comfortable. Once he was comfortably seated, Noir and Lilac took their seats in the much smaller chairs beside the throne, Pansy choosing to stay on Claus’s shoulder. It was a little nerve wracking, sitting in front of such an audience.

“Hey, Pansy?”

Claus’s voice was almost impossible to hear. He was bouncing his leg, clearly nervous. Pansy adjusted herself so her flower was slightly over her face, obstructing anyone but Claus’s view of her.

“What’s up?”

“I’m nervous... What’s gonna happen? Please tell me I’m not gonna get hurt...”

Pansy shook her head.

“No way! You’re not gonna get hurt at all! The only thing that’s gonna hurt is your cheeks from smiling so much.”

She poked Claus in the cheek, pushing it up so he was smiling. He quietly laughed, gently pushing her hands away.

“Ok, ok, but what about the show itself? Lilac refused to tell me anything.”

Pansy peppily nodded, pointing to the stage.

“Oh! So, basically, we hold this big exciting performance for the guest, which is you, in celebration of them being here! There’s acrobatics, displays of talent and magic, heck, I think there’s even some interactive parts!”

Claus seemed to get more nervous after hearing about what the show entailed.

“Uh... interactive parts?”

Pansy nodded.

“Don’t get so nervous about it! There’ll be times when you’ll get to join in the show! Usually you’ll be used as the “assistant” of sorts, which just means you’ll be the one they use magic and stuff on-“

Claus now seemed more scared than nervous.

“-Nonononono don’t be scared!! They’re not gonna hurt you! None of this is bad magic, I PROMISE. I’ve seen countless variations of this show and not once did anybody here use anything bad.”

She leaned in close, just an inch or two away from Claus’s ear.

“Listen, I’m gonna spoil the whole point of the show for you: it’s to make you happy. We have a motive for every show, usually determined by the guest. But, you looked so nervous and upset earlier that I decided to set it myself. Everyone here is going to do everything in their power to put a smile on your face and keep it there. Their magic will be stuff to make you less scared and more happy, and the displays of talent and magic will be for pure enjoyment, catering towards the imaginative colors of the mind. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, will be in any way, shape, or form, out to hurt or upset you.”

She saw Claus loosen up a bit, definitely reassured, but she couldn’t tell if it completely calmed his nerves or not.

“With that out of the way, let me explain the other little interactive parts so you’re not confused out of your mind when they show up. When the time does come for you to join in the show, someone will come up to get you, sometimes more than one. They’ll usually extend a hand, but I have seen them just whisk guests right off their seat and to the stage without a word, but I’m hoping that won’t be the case. When they do offer their hand, take it. Just follow their lead. Most likely, they’ll explain what they’re going to do before they go through with it. If they don’t, you’ll catch on pretty quick.”

Claus gave a hesitant nod, leaning back in his throne. The audience suddenly went quiet, spotlights beaming towards the center of the clearing. All attention became focused on the clearing, anticipation lingering in the air over the crowd. A figure stepped into the spotlight, taking a bow.

“Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls! Welcome to the ceremonial stage! It is here where we celebrate the wonders of life and the gifts it gives! As many of you already know, we have a special guest in our presence! Please, give him a warm welcome!”

The figure pointed at Claus, his voice booming and echoing through the stage. The spotlights shifted, shining directly onto Claus. The audience erupted into cheers and applause. Claus’s cheeks turned a bright shade of red as he tried to hide his face, flustered by the sheer amount of excited cheering and praise he was getting. The spotlights shifted back to the figure, who was chuckling.

“Alright, with that out of the way, I wish you all the best! Enjoy the show!”

He bowed and the spotlights turned off, leaving the stage in complete darkness. The crowd went silent, waiting eagerly for the festivities to begin. Claus peeked our from his hands, vision enveloped by darkness.

“Did it start yet?”

Pansy nodded, gently easing his hands off his face.

“It did!”

Claus tucked his hands into his lap, watching as a soft white light began to illuminate the stage. Standing in the center were creatures of all shapes and sizes. They waited a moment, standing completely still, and then music began to play. The creatures shifted, beginning a dance intertwined with magic. Colors soared through the air, some of them whizzing past Claus, inches from his throne. It was mesmerizing. As the song progressed, Claus found himself dancing in his seat, a smile on his face. He couldn’t help it. The sights, the sounds, everything sparked some kind of joy in him. By the end of the performance, he was on the edge of his seat, smiling with enough joy to light up the whole world. The performers took a bow, one of them rushing over to Noir and handing them a neatly packaged gift. Noir quietly set it next to Claus’s throne, keeping it out of sight, before they ran off, the lights dimming to darkness. Claus sat back, processing the whole performance in his head. Pansy gave him a gentle nudge.

“So, you like it?”

Claus excitedly nodded, his eyes sparkling with joy. Pansy giggled, her flower bouncing a bit.

“I knew you would!”

The lights suddenly came back on, illuminating a small group of fae who stood in the center of the stage. The group bowed and waved to the audience. As they introduced themselves, two of them stepped away from the group, making their way over to Claus. They knelt down, extending a hand. Pansy gave Claus a nudge, hovering off his shoulder.

“That’s your cue! Go!”

Claus looked back at her, the hesitantly took ahold of the two creatures hands, swiftly being pulled right to his feet and off to the stage. It caught him off guard, being pulled up so quickly, and he nearly tripped over his own two feet in an attempt to keep up. He looked back at Pansy one final time before she was too far away to see.

“My, what have we here?”

What appeared to be the leader of the group turned to face him, looking him over. She was tall and resembled a fox. Her ears were large and sported large tufts of fur that stuck out of them. Her snout was sharply pointed, a little black nose at the end. She had fur sculpted like a dress, a large white tuft jutting out in front. In one hand, she held a stick ignited at the tip with a vibrant red flame. She seemed friendly, but her sharply judgmental gaze said otherwise. Claus tried to act as calm as possible, which was difficult. His hands were a little shaky, and his legs were quivering from how nervous he suddenly was. He had no reason to be, Pansy said there was nothing to worry about, but his mind had other ideas. He was petrified of what others thought of him, which lead to stage fright. People from Tazmily and even the Pigmasks weren’t a problem since most of them knew him well enough to know he wasn’t a threat, but here, he had no idea who anybody was or how they perceived him. It was terrifying, in a sense, and he didn’t want to seem like a coward, so he hid it as best he could. She stepped forwards, lifting his chin and tilting his head to get a good look at him.

“You’re built a little differently than the other guests we’ve had.”

She lifted one of his arms, tracing a finger along it.

“Despite how thin you are, you’re quite muscular. Interesting.”

She let go of his arm, walking around him, still looking him over.

“And yet, you’re still so small and frail. Not exactly what I was expecting, but I suppose it’ll work out.”

She walked back in front of him, leaning in, her snout inches from his nose.

“Tell me, what’s your name?”

Claus hesitantly backed up a bit, gaining a little space between him and the creature.

“U-uh, it’s Claus...”

She leaned back, smiling.

“Claus... What a lovely name.”

Claus’s cheeks flushed to a rosy pink, flustered.

“My name is Venus, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

She curtseyed, the flame on her stick flickering as she moved. A few performers crowded behind Claus, awaiting directions from Venus, which quickly brought anxiety to Claus. The had a hold on his arms, waist, and ankles. The grip was loose enough for him to squirm out of if necessary, but he had a feeling that wouldn’t go down well. Venus gave a flick of her stick, the flame turning a burning shade of blue.

“How about we start simple? Nothing too extravagant, at least, not yet.”

There was a certain glint in her eye that made Claus tense up, flinching. She waved her stick at him, the bright blue flame bursting into little fireballs aimed directly at him. Just before the flames hit him, he was thrown high into the air. The flames immediately changed course, sharply turning up and spiraling towards him. In an instant, there was a burst of colorful flames that struck just beneath him, making it appear that he was hit. The remaining fireballs swirled around him, creating a protective cocoon from the burst, then formed a cushion beneath him. It didn’t singe or burn him, rather, it kept him afloat. The colorful burst died down, revealing Claus, perched atop a cushion of blue fire, floating at the very top of the stage. The audience gasped in wonderment, watching as the cushion of flames quickly grew, turning into a slide of sorts, which Claus was pushed onto. He spiraled down it, clinging to his cape for dear life, and then the slide stopped, and he was falling. He shut his eyes, ready to hit he ground, but was caught by the performers, gently eased onto his feet. He was dazed, a little off balance, but completely unharmed.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Claus gave a shaky thumbs up, adrenaline coursing through him. He was smiling, but he couldn’t tell if it was from having fun or just out of being so nervous.

“N-no! It wasn’t that bad! Just a little u-unexpected!”

Venus chuckled, giving Claus a gentle pat on the head.

“Well, we’ve no time to waste! Let’s get on with the show, shall we?”

In a flash, a ring of blue fire was circling Claus’s feet. With a snap of Venus’s fingers, it shot up, taking Claus along with. A few of the performers leapt into the air, prepared to catch him. As they did, more bursts of flame came up to pull Claus out of their hands. He was carefully tossed around, got teleported around the stage a few times, and ultimately kept out of the performers hands as much as possible. Although, after what looked like a purposeful mishap, the performers did get ahold of him, keeping him out of the way and successfully landing with Claus in tow. The audience cheered and applauded, the performers bowing in response, and then disappearing in a puff of smoke. Pansy came floating over to drag Claus back.

“Wasn’t that amazing?!”

Claus nodded enthusiastically, his hands still a little shaky.

“Yeah! I thought those flames were gonna burn me or something, which was why I was probably so nervous!”

Pansy laughed, floating in front of him.

“I told you, silly! Those won’t hurt you!”

Claus nodded, flustered.

“I knew that! It didn’t stop me from being nervous, though!”

“Ok, ok, so you were still nervous. That’s fine! The only question is if you had fun or not!”

“I absolutely did!”

“Perfect! Then, are you ready for more?”

Claus nodded with more enthusiasm than before.

“ABSOLUTELY!”

“Then let’s get to it!”

~~~{+}~~~

Claus was bubbling with excitement, leaning on the edge of his seat. He’d been the witness of multiple exciting shows; displays of magic where he was the subject of the effects, shows of the cutest fae he’d ever seen, even acrobatics got involved. After all those shows and a well needed snack break, he was all too excited for more. Although, he would admit that he was beginning to feel more than a little tired. Between shows when there was preparation for a big act, Claus found himself dozing off on his throne, only to be rudely awoken by Pansy, announcing the next show was starting. He would have to quickly make it appear as though he wasn’t half asleep and was raring to go before any of the performers came to get him. During the snack break, he could’ve sworn he took a nap, somehow unable to remember the fact that he did, and assumed he dozed off for a hot second before someone woke him up again. The second to last show had concluded, and he was waiting for the next one to start when he noticed something was off. Instead of starting the show and coming to get him, it seemed like he had to go up there himself.

“Pansy? Am I supposed to be doing something right now?”

Pansy nodded, gesturing with her flower to the center of the stage.

“Yep. This one’s gonna involve you heading up there yourself.”

Claus gave a thumbs up and made his way to the center of the stage, Pansy sticking behind as before. The stage lights suddenly dimmed, a spotlight focusing on Claus, and a familiar booming voice returning.

“I’m glad you decided to come forth, your majesty! I was hoping they’d let us compete in this show. Sure, I may not have the magic of the others or the elegance of the rest of my kin, but that shouldn’t put a single inch of difference between us!”

A figure suddenly jumped down onto the stage, charging at Claus, and stopping just short of him. They towered over him, two gleaming eyes staring right at him. The spotlights grew brighter, and the stage lit up, revealing the figure.

“Allow me to introduce myself! I am Lycan, the announcer you have heard throughout this entire show! It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance!”

He bowed, kneeling down a bit. He resembled a mix between a centaur and a lion. His lower body was built similar to a horse, but with more muscle, sporting 6 legs with bird-like talons for feet. His upper body was more human-like, aside from his hands being clawed and having horns, he looked like a person. His hair was long and scruffy, tied in a horribly messy ponytail at the back. Markings and scars littered his body, making up most of the patterns Claus could see. He was at least 2 feet taller than Claus, maybe more, and had a friendly aura about him that completely contradicted his physical image. He stood back up, trotting around Claus.

“I didn’t expect to see such a scrawny kid be my opponent. No offense to you, by the way.”

Claus shrugged.

“Usually my opponents are strong looking adults, but I think you’ll do just fine! What’s your name, anyway? I never got it.”

“It’s Claus.”

Lycan smirked, trotting back in front of Claus.

“Sounds strong. I like it!”

Claus blushed, flustered.

“Alright, with names out of the way, allow me to explain the game we’re about to play!”

He snapped his fingers and a massive maze-like pattern appeared on the ground.

“It’s simple: find a way out of the maze you’ll be traversing through! Sounds easy enough, right?”

Claus nodded.

“WRONG! Along with trying to get out of this maze, you’ll have to be outrunning me, the undefeated champion of this game! I’m the fastest fae around, which means even the toughest adults can’t get past me!”

He noticed Claus frown, discouraged.

“Now before you think it’s unfair, allow me to explain. I’m not heartless, and I understand that the participants are not as fast as me. Therefore, I’ll give you a full one minute head start to get as far as you can before I get to start running! I’ll have my back turned, of course, so I’ll have no way of knowing where the heck you actually went!”

That seemed to bring Claus’s hopes up a little.

“On top of that, I’ll give you a few hints. Not all the dead ends in this maze are actually dead ends. Some are thin walls made to look like it’s a dead end. You humans are small and light enough to scramble through one. I, on the other hand, am not. I also can’t do corners very well, while humans seem to take them just fine. Weaving is a guaranteed way to lose track of me, just so you know. Also, if you manage to get any single part of your body on the other side of that exit, I count that as a win for you.”

Claus was now confidently smiling, almost a little full of himself.

“Lastly, I’ll allow an optional help. You can pick one, and only one, of anybody here to help, aside from me, of course. This part is optional, although I do recommend it. I’d assume you’d want one to give you a slight advantage?”

Claus nodded.

“Then go ahead! I can wait.”

Claus looked back towards his throne and confidently pointed at it, smirking.

“I choose Pansy to assist me!”

Pansy practically shot from her seat, soaring towards Claus and landing on his shoulder. Lycan chuckled, amused.

“That was quick! Well, since you’ve got a partner, I might as well explain the last little rule to you both. Pansy, this won’t apply to you at all, as always, but Claus... well, let’s just say that this won’t be very fun for you.”

He snapped his fingers and a tingling sensation shot through Claus, eliciting a small yelp.

“There’s an extra rule I apply to make things even, since humans like you are pretty good at hiding from me. You’ll have no time limit to complete the maze, but I’ll warn you now: the longer it takes you to get out of the maze, the harder it’s going to get. That little spell I used should balance it all out, and make it even easier for me to find you.”

He smirked, gesturing to the beginning of the maze.

“Well? The game awaits!”

Claus looked at Pansy with a nervous expression. She leaned in, her flower over her face.

“Listen, I’m not sure what that spell will do, since it’s different every time, but it’s going to make you more noticeable. In the past, it’s made people have a glowing marking that gets brighter the closer he gets, make them drowsy so they don’t go as far, or even make them slower so they can’t get around him. I have a feeling it’s not going to be any of those, but something that’ll cause you to make noise. Just a hunch.”

She swung her flower back over her shoulder as they reached the front of the maze, standing before it as it grew right in front of them, the walls towering over them and Lycan.

“Alright, go ahead, wait at the entrance.”

Claus stepped forward, getting down into a position where he could break into a sprint. Lycan turned around, his back to the maze and Claus.

“I’ll give you a 3 second countdown, ok?”

“Got it.”

“Three...”

Claus dug his nails into the dirt, feeling electricity begin to build up in his circuits.

“Two...”

He reared up, tiny bolts jumping along the metal.

“One...”

He leaned back, his nails still firmly dug into the ground, ready to throw him forwards.

“GO!”

Claus shot forwards, getting an electrified boost of speed that let him move a little faster than usual. He sharply zipped around corners and darted through passageways, letting his instincts guide him. He could hear Lycan counting off the seconds of his minute head start, getting down to 10 seconds as Claus reached an intersection. He looked over at Pansy, who was clinging to him for dear life.

“Now what? You know this stuff better than I do!”

“Uh, just try to get to a good spot where he can’t easily get to! Like a really wonky corner or something!”

Claus nodded and turned down the corridor to his right, making a few speedy turns before reaching a fairly good spot. There was a false wall that lead to a little hiding spot in a real dead end, and an intersection that had long passageways on either side, giving Claus time to think if he spotted Lycan.

“Ready or not, here I come!!”

Lycan’s booming voice and laughter echoed through the walls of the maze, leaving an unsettling feeling in Claus’s gut. He could hear the thundering footsteps from so far in, which only made it worse. He could tell Lycan was quite a ways away from him, but it wasn’t going to be long before he found where he was hiding. He waited as the footsteps grew closer, and then began to panic.

“Claus! Hide!”

Pansy kept her voice low, like a shouting whisper, as Claus ducked behind the false wall, backing himself as far into the dead end as he could. It was then that something began to feel off. A light, tingling sensation sparked up around his sides, causing him to quickly clamp his hands over his mouth to quiet the erupting giggles that followed. Pansy quickly realized what was happening, dread crossing her face.

“Oh no, this is what he meant by “balancing it out”. He’s literally going to tickle Claus into submission...”

She clamped her hands over his mouth to try and help, her flower tucked under her arm.

“Whatever you do, do not break. Resist as much as you can. He’s trying to find you by breaking you down to a giggling mess so he can just grab you and admit that he won. Don’t let him do that.”

Claus barely nodded, struggling to keep quiet. Dread quickly turned to fear when the footsteps stopped and a familiar voice echoed all too close to Claus.

“I know you’re here~ Come out, come out, wherever you are~!”

Claus bit his lip to stifle himself, clamping his hands harder over his mouth. A clawed hand suddenly burst through the wall, gently patting the ground, feeling around for where Claus was. He scooted back as best he could, tucking his legs into his chest as much as he could. Lycan’s hand was inches away from grabbing his ankles, the claws narrowly missing him as the hand pulled away and out of the false wall.

“Huh, could’ve sworn I heard someone giggling back here...”

Lycan slowly moved away from the false wall and farther down the corridor, his footsteps growing fainter. The sensation near Claus’s sides died down, finally letting him breathe. He let his hands fall to his sides, breathing a sigh of relief. Pansy pushed him to his feet, tugging at his hand.

“Ok, we gotta go, and fast! Follow me!”

Claus stumbled after her, keeping close attention on the distant footsteps of Lycan. They ran through endless passageways before coming across a dead end, halted in their tracks.

“Shoot, there’s no false wall! If he finds us, we’ll be trapped! Pansy, we gotta turn around and-“

“What was that about being trapped?”

Two massive, clawed hands gripped Claus’s shoulders, pinning his arms to his sides. Lycan leaned in, a confident grin on his face.

“Funny, you really thought I just left? Heh, I knew you were back there, I just had to coax you out.”

His grip tightened as he moved in to immobilize Claus completely to halt any escape. Claus immediately began squirming to get free, and successfully got his right arm out of Lycans grip. With one swift push down, he popped right out of Lycan’s grasp, fell, scrambled to his feet, and broke into a sprint. Pansy flew after him, narrowly avoiding Lycan.

“RUN CLAUS! RUN!”

“Wh- how did you- ok, thats it!”

Lycan broke into a thundering sprint after Claus, quickly closing in on him. Claus looked back only to see Lycan getting closer and closer. In an act of desperation, he sharply turned a corner and ducked behind a false wall, running farther down the corridor he’d just discovered. After rounding more corners, he found himself in a straight passage to the end of the maze. It was then that the sensation at his sides kicked in again, but this time with more strength than before. It took everything in his power not to topple over and break.

“You can do it, Claus! You’re so close!!”

Lycan’s thundering footsteps reached Claus’s ears, growing louder by the second. In one final push of strength, he shot forward, electricity pumping his legs to move faster, giving him one last burst of speed. Lycan was closing in, yet the exit was so close! Claus knew he had to just outrun Lycan for a little bit longer, but it was inevitable. Just as he thought he was out, he was shoved to the ground, talons locking around his limbs to hold them down. Claus was pinned, the nails of his right arm dig into the ground in front of him, while the rest of his body was pinned like a plank of wood.

“GOTCHA!!”

Lycan pressed down harder to prevent Claus from squirming, taking care not to hurt him. He could tell his spell was still in effect, as Claus was biting his lip as to not burst into rounds of laughter. Just to spite him, Lycan purposefully dug his claws into Claus’s sides, sending Claus into a squeaky fit of melodious laughter, at the mercy of Lycan.

“Pansy!!! Help meeeEEEKK!!!”

Claus shrieked as Lycan shifted the attack to his underarms, turning the squeaky fit into near silent laughter.

“Alright, Lycan, let him go. He’s had enough.”

“Aww, but I was having so much fun.”

Lycan pouted and stepped off of Claus, letting him catch his breath. He snapped his fingers, the maze walls disappearing, leaving little pink lines in their place.

“Well, it looks like I won. Sorry about the-“

Lycan stopped when he realized that something wasn’t right about the lines. They gave off a small glow, reaching up a couple inches to help mark where the outline for the walls originally were, and, oddly enough, something was obstructing one. The exit had a larger pink line to indicate where the actual exit was, and Claus’s arm was laid just barely over it, his hand firmly planted in the dirt on the other side.

“There’s no way...”

Lycan was in disbelief, as was the rest of the audience. It was then that he pulled Claus to his feet and lifted up his hand, looking out at the audience.

“Ladies and gentleman, I am proud to say we have a new champion on our hands! I present to you Claus, our new champion!”

The crowd erupted into the most enthusiastic cheering Claus had ever heard. Everyone was ecstatic. Pansy spun around Claus, barely able to contain her excitement.

“YOU DID IT!!! I never thought I’d ever see that day, but here we are!!”

Claus’s face turned a flustered shade of pink as he was hoisted up onto Lycan’s shoulders so he could be seen a little better. He was carried back to his throne and handed off to Lilac and Noir, who were just as happy.

“Kid, I never thought anybody would be able to beat someone like me. Yet, somehow, you did it. You beat the unbeatable!”

Claus’s cheeks turned a brighter shade of pink as he covered face in embarrassment.

“I’m proud to call you champion. Make sure to come back someday so we can have a rematch, alright?”

He extended a hand, confidently smiling. Claus peeked through his fingers and returned the gesture, exhausted, but happy. Lycan trotted off, giving one last wave before the stage dimmed and the show concluded. Carefully, Claus was led back through the tunnel they took and out to the boutique. He looked exhausted, struggling to stay awake. Pansy hovered onto his shoulder, lightly tapping his cheek.

“Hey, you still awake over there?”

Claus slowly nodded.

“Sweet! So, what did you think? Fun?”

Another slow nod.

“Jeez, we really did wear you out. Well, you can stay the night. Me and the others can take you home in the morning, kay?”

One more slow nod. Pansy chuckled, leaning against Claus’s cheek. He was led to a small bedroom with softly glowing mushrooms in the corners. Pansy floated off his shoulder, hovering over to the door.

“Alright, we’ll leave you be. Get some rest, ok?”

Claus gave a thumbs up, yawning.

“Ok, see you in the morning!”

She floated out the door, Noir and Lilac close behind, the door faintly clicking shut. Claus didn’t even bother taking off his cape or unwinding the flower crown in his hair, he merely stumbled over to the bed and flopped down onto it, adjusting the pillows to form a makeshift backrest so he could relax for a moment. Carefully, he began adjusting the crown and cape to be more comfortable so he could lie down and sleep, not realizing the door had opened once more. All he heard was a single snap, and suddenly everything went dark. He couldn’t move, his eyes had slipped shut, and he almost looked to be asleep.

“How quaint. It appears you’re still susceptible to my powers.”

A figure slipped into the room, silently shutting the door behind him. Something gently lifted Claus’s chin, his eyes slowly opening just enough to see. In front of him was Ragnarok, just barely visible from the glowing mushrooms. Claus feebly reached out, his gaze somehow locking onto the bag in Ragnarok’s other hand, nearly falling over.

“Still conscious enough to think about your things, are we? Well, I can fix that.”

Ragnarok slipped the bag out of Claus’s sight, silently setting it on the floor behind him. With another snap, Claus froze, no longer able to even attempt to get control back. He was lowered down onto the mattress, the pillows being rearranged so he could lie down on them, and was tucked in.

“Heavens, you’re exhausted, aren’t you? No need to answer, I can tell that you agree. I know, you so desperately want your things back, and I bet you’d like to go home, too. I can assure you that you’ll get all this, and soon. I promised to return your things, and I’m a man of my word. You’ll have them back the moment you wake up. As for getting home, I think it’d be best if I took you instead. In fact, I think you’ll find that you’ll be safe and sound in your bed when you come to your senses.”

He paused, plucking a few mushrooms from the corner and slipping them into Claus’s bag.

“I know you’ll miss this place, everybody does, so I’ll sweeten the deal. If you ever want to come back here, just lay out one of these little mushrooms somewhere easy to find, like a clearing or open cavern, and call my name. You’ll be back before you know it.”

He watched Claus nestle himself in the blankets, barely awake.

“As for now, I think it’s time for you to rest. Sweet dreams, redhead prince...”

With one final snap, everything went black, the world fading from his consciousness and slipping into sleep.

~~~{+}~~~

Morning sunshine poured through the open window, the rays shining over Claus’s face. He groaned, sleepily lifting a hand over his eyes to block out the blinding light. He nestled his head under the blankets, slowly opening his eyes now that he wasn’t blinded, and was greeted with a surprising sight. He shot up, the blankets falling into his lap. Beside him was Lucas, still asleep, and he was home. He still had the cape and flower crown on, and he had no idea how he’d even gotten there.

“How did I...”

Panic hit him as he realized that he still didn’t have his things. He peered over the bed and saw his bag alongside countless boxes, all with his name on them. He felt the mattress shift, a hand tugging at his shirt.

“Claus...? When’d you get back...?”

Claus turned to see Lucas, half awake.

“O-oh! I, uh... I got back late last night!”

Lucas sleepily stared at him through half closed eyes, judging his response.

“Mkay... Tell me about it later... ‘M sleepy...”

He rolled back over, pulling the blankets back over him. Claus sighed in relief and laid back down, wrapping himself around Lucas, happy to finally be home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, sorry for the length. I did not intend for it to be this long. (I think it's my longest one yet!)
> 
> As for what I mentioned earlier, now that I've finished writing chapter 17 for Chimera of Light, I plan to start my Earthbound Beginnings fanfic I mentioned last chapter! I'll just spoil how it'll work now so you all get a feel for it when it comes out. I've got pre-made prompts (40 of them, to be exact), and each chapter will focus on one I randomly pick via a random number generator. The first will be introductory and the basis for the plot, and all that follow will be similar to how I structured Chimera of Light, just with a LOT less angsty fighting stuff and more cute fluffy moments between the 3 protags. I plan on making 2 chapters in a row and then alternating between Chimera of Light and the EB fic (hopefully. This may change in the future). So, please expect that new fic to be ready soon!
> 
> Until then!


	18. Dreams of Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas and Claus get lost in Sunshine Forest and have a not so pleasant experience with some newfound PSI

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HIYA!
> 
> So if you couldn’t already tell by the updated word count, this sucker is a long one. I know it’s been a while, and I have been working my tail off getting this to be done sooner rather than later, and honestly, I’m pretty happy with it!  
> HOWEVER!  
> I’m going to add a little warning here that it gets a bit dark. I’ll say it here so I don’t need to again, but because Mother 3 is such a dark game, I personally feel that anyone can touch on those dark themes incorporated into the game, going as far as to make headcannons and expand on already existing ideas, like Claus’s brainwashing and mechanization. This chapter does touch on some of the darker parts of the twins fears and some of Claus’s past, but it’s nothing gorey or severe like that. I only wanted to add a warning so people don’t freak out over some darker bits of this chapter.
> 
> Anyways, I went on a bit of a tangent there,  
> Enjoy chapter 18!

Chimera of Light, a Mother 3 fanfic

Chapter 18: Dreams of Nightmares

It was dark, the sky hidden by black storm clouds. Thunder crackled off in the distance, the threat of an impending downpour looming over Tazmily. Claus watched as the clouds sometimes flashed with lightning, the bolts streaking across the sky. He sat on a stone ledge just inside the entrance to a cavernous tunnel, watching the sky for any signs of sudden weather changes. He had a thin blanket draped over his shoulders, pulled closed in the front. Lucas wasn’t far behind, laying on a pile of grass with a thin blanket over him, curled up. The two had decided to go on a little adventure that morning and hadn’t factored in the weather. The could easily survive the night, but hoped that the weather would let up enough to allow them to get home. However, as minutes turned to hours, Claus lost hope in getting home before nightfall. The storm clouds didn’t appear to be letting up anytime soon, and the lack of natural light made it impossible to see much farther than a few meters ahead of them. Another clap of thunder echoed through the sky as rain began to pelt the landscape with great force. Claus could feel a few stray droplets hit his face, lifting a hand to shield himself. He opened his wings, letting one act as a barrier between the rain and Lucas, as he turned to wake the blonde up.

“Hey, Lucas, wake up. We gotta move farther in.”

Lucas slowly sat up, tucking the blanket around himself. He stepped off the pile of grass he’d made and grabbed his things as Claus dragged him farther into the cave. As much as Claus didn’t want to go farther in, he had to. If they stayed at the entrance, the rain would surely soak them, thanks to the high winds. They settled by a divot in the wall, tucking themselves against the wall. Lucas curled up in his blanket, tucking his knees to his chest.

“So much for going home...”

Claus pulled his blanket off and draped it over Lucas, folding his wings back under his shirt. He stood up and looked into the depths of the cave, spotting a pile of old firewood off to the side.

“At least we’re can stay dry in here. Sure, it won’t be very comfortable, but it’ll be better than sleeping out in the downpour.”

He adjusted his vision to the darkness, pupil’s growing larger to accommodate.

“There’s some old firewood over there. Stay put, I’ll be back in a sec.”

He cautiously made his way to the firewood, took a bundle, and was about to turn and head back when something hit him square in the head. He dropped the bundle he had picked up, the sticks loudly clattering onto the floor. In an instant, Lucas was on his feet and making his way over to Claus. As he got closer, he noticed Claus was shaking, eyes wide in fear. He was staring at something that wasn’t there, slowly backing up. Lucas leaned over, trying to get a view of Claus’s face.

“Hey, Claus? You ok...?”

Claus just stared off into the darkness, continuing to back away. He staggered, struggling to stay on his feet. Lucas could tell something wasn’t right. His eyes had a certain tint that didn’t look natural, the whites of his eyes a shade darker. Tiny black particles circled his head, a clear sign that magic or PSI was involved. Lucas inched closer, waving a hand in front of Claus’s face to try and grab his attention.

“Claus? What’s wrong?”

Claus staggered again, vision wavering, and fainted without warning.

“CLAUS!”

Lucas just barely managed to catch Claus before he slammed into the stone floor of the cave. He quickly shifted so he was sitting with Claus laid across his lap. He frantically tried to wake Claus up, shaking and shoving him.

“Claus? Please wake up! Claus! Claus?!”

No matter what he tried, there was no response. Nothing worked, and Lucas began to worry.

“Oh god... what if he doesn’t wake up?! Nonononononono, this can’t be happening!”

He looked up, desperate to find whatever or whoever did this to Claus, and quickly found his answer. Off in the darkness of the tunnel, just barely lit by the slim amounts of light that slipped through the clouds, was a figure, black particles circling their outstretched hand. Without a second thought, Lucas grabbed Claus and hauled him up onto his shoulder, snagged their things, and charged at the figure. As he closed in, the figure dipped into the darkness, the only sign of them being the faint glow around their hands.

“GET BACK HERE!”

Lucas continued his sprint towards the figure, ignoring the fact that he was already out of breath and could feel his legs burning from bearing too much weight. He refused to stop until he’d caught that figure, no matter how much it hurt to keep running. It was only when the figure finally managed to hide the glow from their hands and dip into the darkness that Lucas slowed to a halt, exhausted. He fell to his knees, attempting to catch his breath while he silently cursed the figure that escaped him. He threw the backpacks that both himself and Claus took over his shoulder, adjusting his hold to slip the straps over his other shoulder. It was then that he heard Claus, shifting and mumbling.

“Claus? Claus!”

Relief washed over him as he realized Claus might be waking up. He loosened his hold on the twin, letting him lay in a position where Lucas could see his face. The feeling of relief was quickly replaced with dread as he realized Claus wasn’t awake. Instead, he was still locked in sleep, shifting restlessly and mumbling with a trembling voice. Lucas lifted him back up and pulled him into a hug, hoping the gesture would relieve Claus’s restless sleep. He had done it so many times that it was almost instinct to hug his brother when he was in such restless sleep, yet his efforts proved worthless, as Claus’s mumbling turned into frightened whimpering.

“Mom... Dad... N-no...!”

Claus clung to Lucas, tiny tears beginning to trickle down his face. Lucas could only sit and watch, hugging Claus tighter as his whimpers turned to sobs.

“Please, Claus, it’s ok. It’s just a bad dream. Just open your eyes and it’ll all go away...”

Very slowly, Claus’s sobs died down, replaced with him nestling himself against Lucas, face buried in his shoulder. He hadn’t woken up, Lucas was sure of that, but he wasn’t crying out for help anymore, which was good. Although the nightmare wasn’t over, it had calmed down enough for Lucas to loosen up and shift positions, now able to carry Claus with little trouble.

“Let’s go find that guy who did this to you, ok?”

He didn’t wait for an answer, nor did he need one. He merely stood up, Claus in arms, and began the long walk through the tunnel ahead. It was quiet, aside from Claus’s occasional cries and whimpers. The tunnel was nearly pitch black, only illuminated by a small amount of PSI Lucas had mustered up. It wasn’t much, but it would do for the time being. Yet, the quiet and darkness of the tunnel made Lucas uneasy. Something about it wasn’t right. Every time Lucas looked around, he could feel something staring at him, the gaze creeping up his spine. He pulled Claus closer, protectively hugging him. Suddenly, the tiny bit of PSI Lucas had created went out, leaving him in complete darkness. He felt something icy slowly grab ahold of his shoulder, tightening as it moved.

“My, my, what do we have here? A little child, wandering all by himself? How peculiar...”

Lucas froze, peering out of the corner of his eye. Standing beside him was a beast that struck instant fear into Lucas’s mind. It was massive, with countless eyes and a gaping, boneless maw lined with rows of razor sharp teeth. Jagged, gnarled horns curled out of the beasts head, dented and cracked. Long, boney fingers gripped his shoulder, cold to the touch. He couldn’t move even an inch, paralyzed in fear.

“Where did you come from, little one? You look quite lost...”

The beast moved closer, all eyes fixated on Lucas. He could hear Claus beginning to whimper and cry out again, more afraid than before.

“You know, I can help you get home. I just need one little favor from you...”

The tail of the beast slowly swung around in front of Lucas, the tip sporting a frighteningly sharp knife that inched closer to Lucas’s neck.

“Your little head on a platter...”

The beasts maw curled into a malicious smile as the knife reared back, preparing to strike. Out of nowhere, the paralyzing fear in Lucas’s legs turned into sudden adrenaline. He broke into a sprint, narrowly avoiding the knife that nearly came down on his neck. He could hear Claus break into sobs again, crying out for help.

“N-no...! Please... help m-me...!”

Lucas bit his lip and hugged Claus tighter as he sprinted around a corner, ducking behind a hole in the tunnel wall. He clamped a hand over Claus’s mouth, praying it would be enough to keep him quiet.

“Don’t be afraid, little one... I won’t hurt you, I promise...”

The beast slowly peered around the corner Lucas had run around, eyes scanning the dark tunnel.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are...”

Lucas’s eyes went wide with fear when he caught sight of the beast. It was right next to him, yet didn’t seem to see him. It was massive, standing on 12 pointed legs, huge spikes running all across its back, connected by a thin webbing. It’s neck was long and thin, effortlessly allowing the beasts head to freely look around wherever it pleased. It breathed just inches away from Lucas’s face, the smell so vile it took everything in Lucas’s power to stop himself from gagging.

“You can’t hide from me forever... I’ll find you soon enough...”

The beast turned and slowly crept out of the tunnel, disappearing into the depths of the caverns. Lucas waited until was sure it was gone before he let himself breathe easy. He took his hand off of Claus’s mouth, gently rubbing circles on his back in hopes that it’d calm him down.

“It’s ok, it’s ok. We’re safe. That thing is gone. Please, it’s ok, Claus.”

Claus continued to sob into Lucas’s shoulder, leaving tear stains in the fabric. Lucas rocked back and forth, the sobs of his twin dying down to near silence. He stood up, nervously peering around the corner in hopes the beast had gone away. To his luck, it was gone, no sign of it anywhere. Cautiously, Lucas crept out and quickly made his way down the tunnel, heading back into the darkness. Another little bit of PSI lit up the cavern, letting him see once more. The darkness still felt uneasy, something was still watching him. He picked up the pace of his walk, alert to any sudden sound that didn’t sit right with him. He also kept a close eye on Claus and his reactions to everything around him. If he started to grow distressed, Lucas became more alert, looking out for oncoming danger. Yet, after some lengthy period of walking, Claus had barely stirred at all, which was worrying. Something was off, and Lucas didn’t like it. He kept looking behind him, expecting to see some horror creeping up on him, and wound up blindly bumping into something. He sharply turned to face whatever he’d hit and was met with a group of horrifying beings. A bat with 3 freakishly contorted legs and hundreds upon thousands of holes in its body hovered near Lucas’s head. A beast made out of tentacles with alien eyes towered over him. A serpent with too many rows of teeth to count eagerly eyed him, its stained lips curling into a smile. A 6 headed creature inched closer, each one more eager than the last.

“What a strange sight!”

“A child, and so far from home!”

“He looks appetizing, should we eat him?”

“What a frail little boy he’s got with him! He looks so helpless!”

“He’s crying, but why?”

“They’re both crying...”

“No, not yet, he’s not appetizing enough for me.”

“I say we split them! Half of us get the blondie, half get the redhead!”

“Can he talk?”

“Maybe, I’d like to see him try.”

“Go on, talk, blondie!”

Lucas cowered back as the bat-like beast snapped its jaws at him, just barely missing his nose. He defensively turned so Claus was turned away from them, protectively trying to cover him. His body refused to speak, only enticing the horrifying creatures even more.

“So he’s too scared to talk! Ha! How cute!”

“Good, quieter meals are better than ones that scream.”

Lucas started to back up, bumping into the beast made up of tentacles.

“Ohohoho, you’re not going anywhere, blondie.”

The beasts began to surround him, making sure to try and cover every possible exit Lucas could think of.

“This’ll be fun...”

“We’ll be sure to go make it nice and slow for ya!”

“Say you last words, blondie!”

Lucas saw a small opening between beasts and made a break for it. He dashed through the gap, receiving a solid cut to the arm from getting a little too close to one of the beasts, and broke into an all out run for his life.

“Oh no you don’t!”

The bat-like creature flew after Lucas, quickly gaining on the blonde. Its jaws open wide, ready to sink its teeth straight into Lucas.

“Don’t let that brat escape!”

The tentacled beast moved with haste, grabbing ahold of Lucas’s ankle and yanking on it. He toppled to the ground, flipping over in order to prevent injury to Claus, but inadvertently knocking the wind out of himself. More tentacles snapped around his limbs, quickly separating him from Claus and pinning him to the floor briefly. Lucas violently struggled against his restraints, PSI flaring at his fingertips.

“GIVE HIM BACK!!”

Lucas managed to get a hand free and fired a blast of PK Love at the tentacled beast, to which it quickly dodged and slammed a few extra tentacles down on Lucas’s hands to prevent him from using any more PSI.

“What, did you really think that flimsy little power of yours would save you? It’s pitiful, really, how easy you are to predict.”

With a sneer, the beast lifted Lucas up so he could see better, still keeping him restrained as to stop him from attacking or getting away.

“I say we devour that redhead first, just for fun. Wouldn’t you all agree?”

The rest of the nightmarish creatures eagerly nodded.

“In the meantime-“

A tentacle snapped around Lucas’s neck, just loose enough for him to breathe, but threatening to tighten.

“-one little move out of you, blondie, and I’ll choke you. Got it?”

Lucas shakily nodded, tears slowly rolling down his cheeks.

“Aw, look! He’s already crying!”

“Pathetic. I thought he’d last longer.”

The bat-like creature went to bite down on Claus’s arm, only hitting pure steel.

“BLEH! This kids got metal on him!”

“Really? Where?”

“His arm, half his damn face, heck, I think there’s some everywhere!”

“Well, that puts a cork in our plans, doesn’t it?”

“I suppose, but...”

The creature turned its attention to Lucas, who was trembling with fear.

“There’s always the other one...”

Lucas made a move to try and back up, only causing the tentacle on his neck to slowly tighten. He struggled against his bonds, desperate to pry it off his neck.

“Keep it up, blondie. You’re only gonna make it worse if you do!”

Lucas kept at it, slightly able to pry his hand loose, but not enough to free himself. He could feel himself growing lightheaded, black spots dancing in his vision. He knew that if he fainted from being choked, he wouldn’t feel a thing, and that was his motive for continuing to struggle. He was on the cusp of slipping unconscious when everything seemed to stop, silence falling upon the tunnel. With blurry, wavering vision, Lucas could see a figure standing not far from the creatures. He could tell it was a woman, judging by the silhouette he could make out, and that they weren’t a monster. Yet, she stared at the beasts with violent intentions. She stepped forwards, her dress fluttering in a sudden breeze. She lifted a hand, petals and leaves violently swirling around it, and pointed at the beasts. In an instant, countless flora rushed forward, seizing the beasts. Thorned vines whipped and slashed, razor sharp leaves and petal flew through the air, all of which passed Lucas without even getting close to him. The tentacled beast released Lucas as it was hit with razor sharp leaves, causing Lucas to shriek as he suddenly dropped. He found that he’d landed upon a bed of flowers and tall grass, safely shielded from his attackers. Lucas shut his eyes, covering his ears to drown out the noise of the beasts.

“Let’s get outta here!”

“Run for it!”

“Mercy! Mercy!”

The beasts fled into the depths of the tunnel, finally leaving the twins alone. Lucas didn’t even realize they had left, still trying to drown it all out.

“...Lucas?”

Someone gently pulled his hands off his ears, lightly wiping the tears from his cheek.

“Lucas?”

He hesitantly opened one eye, expecting to see something terrifying, but was instead met with a soothing and familiar sight; his mother. She knelt before him, the tall grass and flowers parting around her. She gently wiped away his tears, cupping his cheeks in her hands.

“It’s ok, sweetie. There’s nothing to be afraid of now.”

Lucas threw himself into her arms, exhausted sobs escaping him. Her embrace was warm compared to the cold air of the cavern they were in. Lucas buried his face in her shoulder, the scent of sunflowers being a soothing reminder that he was safe in her arms. It didn’t take long for him to calm down, and he found himself not wanting to let go.

“M-mom... I’m scared...”

Hinawa gently lifted Lucas’s head, his cheeks cupped in her hands. She smiled softly, gently pushing the corners of his lips into a smile.

“Lucas, there’s no reason to be scared. I’ll be right beside you, ok?”

Lucas hesitantly nodded.

“Put a smile on your face. Show those scary brutes that you’re not afraid!”

She kissed his forehead, getting a small smile out of him.

“Here, I’ll walk with you to a safer place, ok?”

Lucas nodded. Hinawa stood up, brushed her dress off, and walked over to Claus, who was still unconscious and now laying in a pile of tall grass. She carefully lifted him up and rested him against her shoulder, offering a hand to Lucas, which he gladly took, and they began walking farther into the tunnel. The whole walk felt a tiny bit nostalgic for Lucas. They used to take walks through the forest when they were little kids, except this time, the roles were reversed. Usually, Claus would be trailing behind Hinawa, taking in the sights, while Lucas napped on Hinawa’s shoulder, tired from either walking or just lack of sleep. Now, Claus was curled up on Hinawa’s shoulder while Lucas trailed behind, keeping an eye out for danger. Yet, nothing ever came. If anything, the aura of the place seemed to get a little bit calmer. They rounded a corner and Hinawa stopped, setting Claus down, a bed of grass sprouting up beneath him. Lucas knelt down to check on him, pushing his hair back to see his face a little better. Hinawa quietly turned to walk away, stopped by Lucas grabbing her hand.

“M-mom? Where are you going?”

Hinawa turned and smiled, kissing Lucas’s forehead. Lucas heard Claus whimper and let go, turning to make sure he was ok. When he turned back around, she was gone. Lucas frowned, walking over to the bed of grass Claus was on and sat down next to him. Small flowers sprouted up around him, blooming in vibrant colors that contrasted the dark look of the cavern. Lucas carefully picked one and threaded it into his hair, taking great care to not screw up his already existing hairdo.

“Claus...”

No answer.

“When the heck are you gonna wake up... I’m worried...”

Lucas pulled his knees to his chest, resting his chin on them.

“What’s even going on in there...? By the way you keep crying out, it scares me...”

Silence hung over the two like a heavy fog. With every passing minute, Lucas grew more and more worried for Claus. No normal PSI would’ve kept him out for this long, not any that he knew of, at least. He had no idea how to help, let alone wake him up. He wanted to cry, yet couldn’t bring himself to.

“Please wake up, Claus...”

Lucas buried his face in his knees, letting out a shaky sigh. It was only when he picked up on footsteps that he began to panic again. He shot upright, looking to the entrance they’d walked through for any sign of a monster, but finding nothing.

“You’re awfully hidden, aren’t you?”

Lucas shrieked, whipping around to see a figure standing inches away from him. With another shriek, he fell backwards, covering his face with his arms. The figure stepped forward, leaning over.

“Oh relax, I’m not going to hurt you. I just- ACK!”

Lucas lobbed a rock square into the figure’s forehead, knocking him down. He scrambled to his feet, PSI sparking at his fingertips.

“Stay back! I’m not scared of you!”

The figure groaned and sat up, rubbing the spot where the rock hit them.

“That was completely uncalled for.”

They brushed themselves off and stepped forwards, visible from the light of Lucas’s PSI.

“Now, if you could kindly stop pointing PK Love at me, that’d be great.”

Lucas hesitantly lowered his hand, the flashing hexagons of PK Love diminishing.

“Thank you. Now, I believe we got off on the wrong foot.”

They took another step forwards, now clearly visible.

“You may call me the Masked Man. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Lucas was taken aback. He looked exactly like Claus, but younger. His features resembled that of a 10 year old, yet he was as tall as Lucas, maybe even a little taller. He was identical in almost every aspect, except he had much different mechanical parts. Instead of a metal plate and a cyborg eye, he had a glassy orange eye surrounded by deep, jagged scars. His right eye had a slit pupil that was a vibrant red, a contrast from Claus’s usual spring green. The mechanical arm looked old, almost primitive compared to Claus’s. A red cord connected it to his neck and it looked all around old, down to the pointed claws for fingers. He wore a black tank top with brown pants and laced up combat boots. Scars ran along his body, deep and jagged like the ones on his face. Even his voice sounded like Claus. He was slightly intimidating, to say the least.

“Why... why do you look like Claus?”

Lucas hesitantly backed up a bit, still a bit shocked.

“Because, technically, we’re the same person.”

“That’s... not possible.”

“Oh, but it is!”

The Masked Man gestured to Claus, who was still lying unconscious in the bed of grass.

“You see, I’m what he used to be. What you see in that pile of grass is present day Claus, but what you see before you is the Claus who was controlled and puppeted by Porky, a slave to their master, if you will.”

Lucas tilted his head, confused. He couldn’t fathom how there were two different versions of Claus somehow existed.

“How...? I don’t understand...”

The Masked Man sighed, arms folded in annoyance.

“It’s quite simple, really. I’m what Claus used to be; a puppet of Porky. I was merely data that was programmed in to act as Claus’s new mind, but I managed to break free and get a mind of my own. After you brought him back to his senses, I receded to the depths of his mind until I felt comfortable enough to come back. Of course, I’m not taking control at will, I never would. I merely give him advice and take over when necessary.”

“So, how are you here and not in there?”

Lucas pointed to Claus, still confused.

“Because you’re walking through a distorted version of reality, a waking dream, if you will. Because of this, the line that separates mind and reality becomes blurred and allows things like me to cross over.”

He walked over to Claus and knelt down in front of him, poking at his cheek with a mechanical finger.

“How long has he been out?”

“I have no idea, but it’s longer than anything like Hypnosis could induce.”

The Masked Man frowned, standing back up. He waited until one of the black particles circling Claus’s head was in reach, then quickly snatched it out of the air. It crumbled in his fingers, turning into a dust that disappeared in seconds.

“Well, whatever it is, it wasn’t on purpose.”

“How do you know?!”

“Because PSI like this is usually stable and doesn’t crumble like this. This looks and feels like a misfired blast of PSI that was meant to be something else.”

He turned, his glassy eye staring straight at Lucas.

“Any idea who shot it?”

“Some figure with a cloak. I tried to chase after them, but they were way faster than me and got away.”

Lucas frowned at the thought. He still felt guilty that he hadn’t caught the culprit yet and let Claus suffer through a nightmare for this long.

“Got it.”

The Masked Man turned to walk away, looking back at Lucas curiously.

“Well? Let’s go find them.”

“R-right now? But there’s freaky looking-“

“There’s no chance we’ll come across them at this point. They fled and I highly doubt they’re coming back.”

Lucas hesitantly nodded and lifted Claus up, the bed of flora receding back into the ground. He carefully lifted the ginger twin into a position that was easier to carry, and cautiously walked after the Masked Man.

“You’re really beaten up... What happened to give you all those scars, if you don’t mind me asking, that is.”

The Masked Man laughed, brushing a stray piece of hair behind his ear.

“These? I got them from that Mecha-Drago I fought all those years ago.”

Lucas seemed a bit intimidated. Deep down, he was still somewhat afraid of the Dragos, even though they had no intention of ever hurting him, especially after that incident.

“Jeez, they really did do a number on you...”

“HA! These are nothing! Porky did way worse than what that Drago did. If anything, they were holding back when they hurt me. They still had something left in that brainwashed head and they used it to stop themselves from killing me. A nice gesture, really. But, it left me with all these gruesome scars.”

“Wait, why doesn’t Claus have these scars? They’re really big and I feel like they wouldn’t have closed up small enough to cover.”

The Masked Man traced a finger along his collarbone, lining the scars.

“He’s has multiple additions to him to cover these up, from metal plating to surgery. Most of them were from surgery, though. Only a select few, like his shoulder, required plates because they were so big.”

Lucas silently nodded. It made more sense why Claus had so many awkward scars, many of which appeared to be from surgeries, and had never bothered explaining them.

“What else do you know about him that neither him nor I know? Just curious.”

The Masked Man chuckled, tucking his hands behind his back.

“Much of it I’d prefer to not speak of, but I’ll share one thing: he’s incredibly sensitive, both emotionally and physically.”

“How so?”

“Both stem from the sheer amount of pain he had to go through. Porky was more or less an asshole, to put it lightly, and did horrible things, things I can’t even bring myself to say. He ruined Claus to an extent a normal person couldn’t fathom, and it’s a genuine miracle he’s made such a positive recovery. The torture he was put through combined with how the entire army treated him destroyed any emotional foundation he once had. A select few people, such as General Koale and General Xavix, were unbelievably kind to him and rebuilt some form of structure to his emotions, but he’s still unstable.”

He kicked a small pebble by his feet, watching it bounce ahead of him.

“He doesn’t know how to handle certain things as well as others. Think of how you used to act when you were little, multiply it by 3, and you’ve got a general idea of how unstable he can be. Of course, he’s improved drastically, but the fact still stands.”

He kicked the pebble again, this time kicking it farther than before.

“As for physically, it stems from the physical torture he went through and all the surgeries he endured. Porky would subject him to countless forms of torture to make him cooperate, some of which were more inhumane than others. It resulted in serious damage to his nerves, muscles, skin, and even some to his organs. Luckily, thanks to recovery and Porky’s dwindling need for him as time progressed, he was able to slowly heal. He still has some serious scarring to him, but it’s definitely improved.”

He glanced over to see Claus shift, nestling his face in Lucas’s neck.

“Most of those scars had to heal through special medicine and not naturally, causing some... odd side effects. Instead of developing thick skin that would make up the scar, it developed as normal flesh would: soft and malleable. It also caused sensitivity in those particular spots to be increased, for some blasphemous reason that even I don’t know of. As a result, he’s hypersensitive along any area of scarring, which ranges anywhere from his torso to his ankles. Even he’s unsure of where it all is.”

Lucas was quiet, lost in thought. He was silent for quite a while, until the silence seemed to be too much for the Masked Man.

“I’m assuming you want to know how he was hurt, right? Don’t try to lie about it, I have the same psychic powers as Claus.”

“Yeah, sorry I never spoke up about it. I didn’t know if you’d be willing to talk about it or not.”

“That’s understandable, but I’m fine with it, as long as you don’t pry for more info on this topic. I’ll give you what I know, but nothing more.”

Lucas nodded.

“It wasn’t all that bad at first, mostly just a slap to the face or something like that. However, it quickly proved ineffective as time went on, as Claus became used to it and didn’t respond as Porky wanted, and that’s when it went downhill.”

The Masked Man paused, composing himself.

“It started with being whipped and beat and escalated to electrocution, burning, and everywhere in between. He made sure Claus was thoroughly broken before he’d even consider letting him go. General Koale explained it too many times. He’d hear Claus getting dragged down the hall, usually pitching a fight with whoever was dragging him, and then a door would shut. There’d be faint shouting and arguing, and then silence. Sometimes he’d hear a whip or a switch flip, but it would almost always be silent for an uncomfortable amount of time, and then the screaming would start. Claus would scream and shriek like a banshee, crying out in pain and for help. This would go on for some ungodly long period of time before he’d hear Claus crying. Usually, that was the end of it and the whole ordeal would be over, but a few times it didn’t. Claus would scream and cry mercy for a while before Porky finally decided it was enough and then he’d violently drag him back to his room and leave him there.”

He looked a tad bit upset, his breath shaky and expression contorted into a frown.

“I myself have no memory, only what the generals have told me, but they’ve all said it’s horrifying. Claus would always have giant lashes on his back or chest, lines from electrocution, or some blackened, charred patches of skin that would require surgery to fix. I personally am glad that I have no memory of it, considering how horrified the generals got talking about it.”

He wiped his eyes, faint tear stains on his face. Lucas leaned over to see him better, catching a glimpse of a tear on his cheek.

“I-I apologize, I shouldn’t be crying.”

He shook his head, sighing. Lucas frowned, hoisting Claus up farther onto his shoulder.

“Don’t apologize. It’s ok to cry about stuff like that. Trust me, I learned it the hard way.”

The Masked Man nodded, wiping away glistening tears.

“I suppose you’re right.”

He paused.

“How did you two even end up in this situation? Sorry to change the subject, I just felt it’d be a less emotional topic.”

Lucas chuckled, glancing over at Claus, who was curled up against his shoulder.

“We went exploring and a huge rainstorm forced us to stay here. I wanted to go home, but it takes hours to safely make Claus’s mechanizations waterproof, and we were both too exhausted for it. It resulted in us getting stuck in this cave so we could stay dry.”

The Masked Man silently nodded, tucking his hands behind his back. He stared off into the depths of the tunnel, gaze fixed on a particular point. As they drew closer, Lucas could make out the light of a fire and a person sitting by it. A wave of relief struck him as he realized that he wasn’t hallucinating or dreaming. As he went to run towards it, he noticed the Masked Man had stopped.

“What are you waiting for?”

“For you both to keep going. I can’t go any farther.”

“Why?”

The Masked Man chuckled, extending a hand to reveal a tinted barrier between himself and Lucas.

“I’m limited to only the mind, therefore, I can’t cross over into reality. You crossed the barrier between the subconscious and consciousness. I, on the other hand, cannot. My little walk with you ends here.”

He pointed to the fire off in the distance, taking a step back.

“You’re safe from harm as long as you stay on your side of this barrier. I have a feeling that person by the fire can clear some things up with you. As for now, I believe I’ve overstayed my welcome.”

He turned to leave, but Lucas ran back and grabbed his shoulder.

“Thanks, for everything.”

The Masked Man smiled, his sharp teeth menacingly poking out.

“You’re welcome. Take good care of him for me, ok?”

“Sure thing!”

With that, he turned and walked into the darkness of the tunnel, vanishing into the shadows. Lucas turned and began walking towards the fire, slowly increasing to a light jog. He was exhausted, drained, and all around ready for this experience to be over with. As he approached the fire, he slowed to a stop, watching the figure for some kind of response. The figure was cloaked, the hood covering their eyes and most of their body, aside from the lower half of their face. The cloak itself was colorful, sporting pastel shades and patterns, all of which was given a warm glow from the fire. As Lucas took a step to move, the figure glanced up, smiled, and returned their gaze to the fire.

“Sit. I don’t mind.”

Lucas quietly sat down, laying Claus out in his arms. He slumped over, hanging his head. He didn’t have the energy to even be angry about their situation anymore.

“What troubles you, child?”

Lucas slowly looked up to see the cloaked figure peeking over from around the fire. He sighed, running a hand through his tangled hair.

“I’m lost, tired, kinda hungry, and I’m scared. My brother’s been unconscious and trapped in a nightmare for god knows how long and I just had to walk my own nightmare...”

He wiped his eyes, tears welling up faster than he could get rid of them.

“I just want this to all be over with...”

He struggled to keep himself from crying again, but it was difficult. It felt like the whole world had planted itself on his shoulders and was pressing down harder with each passing second. He shut his eyes and muttered a quiet “I’m sorry” before slowly breaking into exhausted sobbing and sniffling. He didn’t notice that the cloaked figure had moved and sat down beside him, gently rubbing circles on the sobbing blonde’s back in an effort to calm him down.

“Don’t apologize, you’ve done nothing wrong.”

Lucas wiped his eyes again, glancing over at the figure.

“Truly, you’re not at fault. You said your brother has been trapped in a nightmare for a while now, yes?”

Lucas nodded slowly.

“Did you happen to see what he was struck by?”

“Some kind of PSI or magic... I couldn’t tell... He’s had these little black particles floating around his head ever since...”

He sniffled, drying his tear stained hand on his shirt.

“That explains it, then. One of my pupils must’ve misfired and unintentionally caused this mess.”

The cloaked figure mumbled a “I’ll have to speak with them later” under their breath, turning their attention back to Lucas.

“What do you mean...?”

Lucas tilted his head in confusion.

“You see, this series of complex tunnels and caverns is home to powerful PSI users. They all train under me, the grand master. As a result, I’ve asked that they help weary and lost travelers by getting them the help they need, whether that be sleep, shelter, food, or even some company. One of my pupils must’ve noticed you both were stuck at the mouth of the cave and were most likely going to move you somewhere safer, but not without ensuring you both got some well deserved rest. Although, I believe that they unintentionally conjured the wrong form of PSI and fired it by mistake, throwing your brother into a nightmare and you into a waking nightmare.”

The figure reached out and grasped one of the black particles circling Claus’s head, cupping it in their hands.

“I give my pupils two very simple forms of PSI: PK Dream and PK Nightmare. Both pull the mind into slumber and fill it with either joyful dreams or horrifying nightmares, each result going to their respective forms. The one who struck your brother most likely meant to use PK Dream and, by complete accident, used PK Nightmare instead, since the two can be so easily switched. The result was a terrifying situation you both wound up in instead of a refreshing nights sleep.”

Lucas slowly nodded, a bit relieved at the fact that it was a complete accident that caused the problem and not some intentional troublemaker.

“So, can we wake him up...?”

The cloaked figure pushed the black particle around in their palm, watching it roll around aimlessly.

“Yes, but it’s not as simple as using Healing or some other curing form of PSI. One must use the opposite form of PSI used in order to counteract the effects. For instance, if one is hit with PK Dream, a slow use of PK Nightmare must be used to counter the previous power and wake the victim up. In smaller amounts, enough to merely lull one into that state rather than force them, no counteraction is needed.”

Lucas’s eyes widened with anticipation, lifting up Claus so he was propped up a bit.

“You said you were the one who taught those powers, right? Can you use them to wake him up?”

The cloaked figure shook their head, placing a hand on Claus’s forehead.

“If you and him were merely brothers, it would be entirely possible, but since you both are identical twins, I’m unable to.”

Lucas’s relieved expression faded, turning to one of sadness.

“W-what? Why?”

“Because identical twins share a special bond that PSI connects to. Most offensive types, such as the ones you possess, are solely based on the person using them. Ones that focus on the mind, however, must comply with the bonds one shares with others, including siblings. Identical twins, due to their special bond, have slightly different rules compared to regular siblings.”

Lucas’s joy faded into upset, the urge to cry slowly returning.

“However, this doesn’t mean he can’t be woken up. If anything, it’s still entirely possible, I’m just unable to do so myself.”

The cloaked figure let a soft light flow to their fingertips, yet it seemed to be repelled by an unseen force, pushing it away from Claus’s forehead.

“If you were to learn use it, you’d absolutely be able to wake him up.”

“Then, can you teach me?”

“Absolutely.”

Lucas’s relief returned, a small smile forming.

“Give me your hands. Don’t worry about any harm being done, you’ll be fine. The only way to quickly learn this is by a strong contact between users, the simplest way being to hold each others hands.”

Lucas hesitantly rested his hands in the palms of the figure’s. A soft light flickered to life between them. Little ribbons of light swirled and danced around the glow between them, swirling around their hands.

“Now, focus on everything positive that you can think of. Channel all those thoughts into that ball of light between us.”

Lucas shut his eyes and pictured as many happy things as he possibly could, pushing all of it straight into the soft light before him. The light grew in size, turning from a little twinkle to something big enough to hold. When he opened his eyes, he was a little taken aback by the sheer size of the light.

“Oh jeez... Did I overdo it?”

The cloaked figure shook their head, chuckling.

“Not at all. If anything, this is perfect.”

The figure let go of Lucas’s hands, sitting back so the light would travel towards Lucas.

“Just place it upon your brother and he should wake up in the coming minutes, if not immediately.”

Lucas nodded, carefully cupping the orb and turned to Claus, gently placing the orb upon him. In an instant, the orb burst into little ribbons of light that swirled around the ginger, capturing the black particles that circled his head and replacing them with ones of light. His expression quickly shifted from that of fear to something far more neutral. He was no longer shivering and whimpering, but rather, he was silent, peacefully slumbering. Slowly, he began to stir, eyes lazily fluttering open before he shot up, realizing he was no longer stuck in a nightmare. He looked around, a little panicked, and upon seeing Lucas, he leapt into a hug, tears streaming down his face.

“Y-you’re ok! My god, you’re ok!”

Lucas was a bit confused, but assumed something horrible had happened to him in whatever nightmare Claus just went through, considering the reaction he was given.

“I-I thought you had really died... I r-really did... but you’re here a-and...”

Claus broke out into sobs, throwing himself into Lucas’s arms. Lucas returned the embrace, tiny tears of joy slowly rolling down his cheeks.

“I’m ok, Claus. I’m ok. It was just a bad dream.”

Claus wailed and sobbed, much of it muffled from him burying his face in Lucas’s shirt. Most of what he said to Lucas was incomprehensible, just upset babbling mixed with some barely comprehensible words and sentences. From what Lucas could gather, it was something about how everyone Claus knew and loved had died some horrifyingly gruesome death before his eyes, all while he was powerless to stop it. Lucas had apparently been killed by the Ultimate Chimera, but it had been far less merciful with its attacks and there was no way of turning it off, resulting in Lucas being mauled by the beast right before Claus’s eyes. It was hard to think about, even for Lucas, and he decided to push the image of him being mauled like that into the back of his mind in hopes that it would just go away. Eventually, Claus’s wailing sobs died down, turning into sniffling and little hiccups.

“S-sorry... I-I just- I know I-I’m not one to c-cry a whole lot...”

He wiped tears off his face, giving Lucas an exhausted smile. He was still a little shaky, but he was otherwise just fine. It was a relieving sight for Lucas, considering the experience he just had and what they both had to deal with.

“Good to know that he’s awake and well.”

The twins looked over to see the cloaked figure staring at them, sitting much more upright than before. Claus seemed a bit afraid, almost using Lucas as a shield, while Lucas was fairly content with the sight.

“I apologize if I may have spooked you. I mean no harm.”

Claus shuffled out from behind Lucas, still somewhat afraid.

“It’s good to see you’re awake. Your brother was very upset and worried about you.”

Lucas gave a small nod in agreement.

“I am truly sorry you both had to go through all that. I’ll make sure to give that pupil of mine a stern talking to when they come around, but for now, allow me to make it up to you.”

The figure gestured to a smaller tunnel behind them, tiny yellow wisps of light illuminating it. Not far down it was a stone door with a shiny silver handle, a single lantern hanging from it.

“Head down that tunnel and through that door. It will take you both back home, wherever that may be. Be sure to take the lantern with as well, as that tunnel can be a bit dark at first.”

The twins nodded and helped each other to their feet, Lucas taking the lead. Claus could tell Lucas was flat out exhausted, most likely pushing himself well beyond his limits to keep going. As he reached for the handle, Claus stopped him, taking ahold of his hand and pulling it away before using his free hand to take the lantern and open the door.

“I’ll lead this time. You’ve been through enough already.”

Lucas opened his mouth to protest, but was stopped when Claus began confidently walking into the darkness, lantern held out in front of them.

“You hauled me all that way just to wake me up, and I’m not letting you just push yourself even harder just to get us home. Take a breather, I’ll lead us home this time.”

Lucas nodded, tightening his hold on Claus’s hand. The two slowly walked farther into the area beyond the door, and were quickly met with near complete darkness, the only light being from the lantern. It was slightly unnerving, being in such darkness. Claus thrust the lantern forwards and confidently began leading Lucas through the dark tunnel.

_“Hello again.”_

Claus quietly groaned as that familiar voice popped into his head.

_“Could you not? I’d like to keep my brother from thinking I’m going crazy.”_

_“HA! He wouldn’t dare! He’s already met me, so what’s the worry?”_

_“I’m sorry, what?!”_

_“You heard me!”_

Claus quietly glanced at Lucas, who was staring ahead into the darkness.

“Hey, Lucas?”

“What’s up?”

“Did you, how do I say this... meet with someone who looks and sounds almost exactly like me?”

“Why, is he talking to you right now or something?”

Claus went silent, averting his eyes.

_“WHEN WERE YOU PLANNING ON TELLING ME THAT YOU MET MY BROTHER?!”_

_“When you woke up, but you seemed to be having a moment with Lucas so I opted to keep quiet.”_

“He’s talking to you, isn’t he.”

“NO! ...ok maybe he is, but it doesn’t matter!”

Claus heard the echoing laughter of the Masked Man in his head, restraining himself from mentally decking him in the face.

“Look, it’s fine. I don’t think you’re insane, nor would I ever think such, and I have some form of understanding on what that voice exists.”

“...How so?”

Claus adjusted his grip on the lantern, holding it up higher to try and light up more of the tunnel.

“I don’t know, I guess I just understand that he’s a part of you in the same way something like a conscience is; it stops you from doing things and maybe becomes a nuisance every now and again.”

_“Did he just call me a nuisance?!”_

Claus held back a snort.

_“He absolutely did!”_

_“Why you little- How could you say such a thing! I’m in no way a nuisance! If anything, I’ve helped you both! You dare call me a nuisance! I-“_

“He didn’t like that, did he?”

“Nope!”

The twins laughed, the Masked Man still ranting in Claus’s mind, and turned their attention back to the road ahead.

~~~{+}~~~

“I think we’re lost...”

Claus mumbled himself as he stared off into the sea of trees around them. The two had found their way out of the tunnel, but had gotten lost along the way. Lucas was too tired to keep walking and Claus offered to carry him, resulting in the blonde passing out on his back halfway through the walk. Claus has absolutely no idea where they’d ended up and no idea how to get home. He thought about flying, but was worried that Lucas could fall off, and even more worried about the idea of losing energy mid-flight and plummeting to the ground, so he decided to just try and walk it. After much internal bickering between ideas, he settled on one possible way. He knelt down, dropping his bag on the floor, and rummaged through it, pulling out a small handwoven box with a silver ribbon on it.

“If my guts right, this should get us out of this mess.”

He opened the box and took out a small compass-like device. It was weathered and a little old, but it still retained all functionality. The twig that functioned as the arrow began to spin rapidly, the tip pointing at Claus, little flowers to represent the directions lighting up. He placed the device over his heart and took a deep breath.

“Show me the way back home.”

The twig arrow began to spin faster than before, the little flowers changing colors faster than the eye could see. In an instant, a little ribbon of light shot out of the compass and wrapped itself around Claus’s wrist, securing itself in a knot. Claus lifted the device away from his chest and watched as the arrow stopped abruptly, pointing southeast. He turned and saw tiny wisps of light floating in a trail, creating a path for him to follow. He stood up, grabbed his things, and began walking along the wisp-lit path the compass created for him. The walk was long, but it took him straight home, just as he had hoped. Relief hit him as he saw Tazmily through the trees, breaking into a sprint. He carefully ran through the village, the wisps following him close behind, until he reached his home. The compass spun once more, winding itself so the twig pointed exactly to the north, the flowers glow diminishing, and the wisps faded away. Claus gently pushed the compass into his pocket, smiling as he quietly opened the door.

“Anyone home?”

No answer. Claus relaxed a bit and headed over to the bed he shared with Lucas, dumping his brother onto the mattress with no effort to even try and be gentle about it. He kicked off his shoes, tossed his stuff to the floor, and flopped down next to the blonde. Lazily, he threw the covers over them and rolled to one side, staring out the open window at the starry night sky.

“Sweet dream, Lucas. See you in the morning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I STILL DON’T KNOW HOW TO END THESE!
> 
> Sorry about the wait. If you haven’t already checked it out, I’ve been working on a second fic based around Earthbound Beginnings! It’s based on pre-made prompts and is really all around fluff with minimal angst. I’ll be writing a chapter on that fic after I finish one from this fic, so expect ever so slightly longer wait times for these chapters.
> 
> Until then!


	19. Happy Birthday! (Happy 14th Anniversary Mother 3!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins turn 14 also this chapter is so rushed I’m so sorry in advance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi.
> 
> As you can probably tell, it’s been quite a while since I last posted (you can thank this stupid fucking quarantine for that).  
> I’m going to say this now, because someone will say it if I don’t: This chapter is not very good. I’ve said this about maybe one or two other chapters, but I genuinely mean it this time.
> 
> I. Rushed. This.
> 
> This entire thing was practically done in 3 days, which is unheard of according to my schedule and work ethic. I wanted it to be out either before or on the anniversary for Mother 3, and as you can see, I managed to do that, but thanks to this virus and quarantine, I couldn’t focus enough to write on schedule. This resulted in a panic filled weekend as I tried to cobble this together to put out, since I promised myself I would do it and hold myself to it. I wish it could be a better chapter, but as of today, I was unbelievably stressed and upset (thank you school for being a massive prick and ruining my day). Maybe next year, I’ll push out something better.
> 
> Again, sorry in advance. It’s rushed, and I understand that it’s far from perfect. I’ll try better next time, I promise.

Chimera of Light, a Mother 3 fanfic

Chapter 19: Happy Birthday! (Happy 14th anniversary Mother 3!)

“C’mon! Wake up!”

“Nooooo...”

“Wake up! Today’s a special day!”

“Just five more minutes... I was up all night...”

“Doing what?!”

“Dealing with nightmares...”

“Why didn’t you wake me up to tell me?!”

“Because I don’t like bothering you in the middle of the night...”

“Claus, if it’s for good reason, wake me up as much as you like! I’d rather help than have you suffer every night!”

Lucas gave him a gentle shove, hoping it would push him out of his sleepy daze.

“Nooo... I’m too tired...”

“Please get up.”

“Noooooo... just a little while longer...”

Lucas sighed in defeat, knowing that his brother wouldn’t get up without enough sleep, and finally gave in.

“Fine, 30 more minutes.”

“Why not an hour...?”

“Ok, 35 minutes.”

“Mmph... 55...”

“Ugh, 40.”

“Make it 50...”

“Ok, let’s split the difference. 45 minutes, final offer.”

“Deal.”

Claus smiled and snuggled back into the warmth of the bed. Lucas merely rolled his eyes and headed over to the mirror, taking the comb atop the little dresser in front and fixing his hair.

It was a particularly special day, more so than others, for it was their birthday. They were turning 14, and it was even more special than the past birthdays they’d had. For 3 lonely years, Lucas had to spend his birthdays alone, making this one the first they’d have together in a while. He thought back to their last birthday, before the tragedy that struck them, a smile coming to his face.

_“Happy birthday, boys!”_

_Hinawa presented a beautifully made cake to the twins, a bright smile on her face. The two delighted twins excitedly followed their mother to the table as she set the cake down before them. Two candles were stuck in the cake, one for each child, a bright flame atop each wick. Claus could barely sit still, inching closer in his seat. Lucas smiled, kicking his feet in excitement. Hinawa stepped back, bumping into Flint._

_“Oh! My bad, sweetie.”_

_“Don’t worry ‘bout it.”_

_He tipped his hat, watching as his kids grew more and more antsy the longer they had to wait. He cleared his throat, the attention of the twins snapping to their parents. There was a pause, and then they began to sing. Melodious and soothing, their voices softly echoing through the quiet home. Lucas couldn’t help but smile as he closed his eyes, focusing on the soothing voices of his parents. As the upbeat melody finished, the two happy parents clapped._

_“Go on! Blow out your candles!”_

_The twins excitedly blew out their respective candles, getting a round of applause. The whole room felt light with happiness, and Lucas hadn’t felt better. He was pulled into a family hug, the biggest, happiest grin on his face..._

Lucas smiled nostalgically, staring at his reflection in the mirror. He set the comb down and ran his fingers through his hair, smoothing it out. He checked the clock and mumbled to himself.

“45 minutes. Time’s up, Claus.”

He pushed one final strand of hair into the neatly fixed hairstyle he’d made and turned to face his sleeping brother, sternly marching over to him. He grabbed the blankets and threw them off, caught off guard by the sight beneath them. Instead of Claus snapping awake or curling up for warmth, Lucas found him kneading at his pillow, purring. He looked serene, perfectly sprawled out on the mattress. His nails flexed and curled into the fabric of the pillow, leaving little dents in their place. It took Lucas a moment to shake himself out of the shock he was in before he finally made an effort to wake his twin.

“Claus, wake up.”

He shook the ginger, getting a slight reaction out of him. He merely rolled over, letting out a little huff under his purring. Lucas gave another shove, getting a stronger reaction than before. With a groan, the ginger twin rolled back over, sleepily stretching out. He yawned, then returned to kneading the pillow next to him.

“Claus. Don’t make me force you.”

The ginger twin lazily opened one eye, staring at his younger brother through half closed lids. He groaned, burying his face in the crook of his arm.

“Just 5 more minutes...”

“I gave you 45!! Get up!”

Another groan.

“Why do you need to wake me up so early...”

“Because it’s our birthday! Did you forget?!”

Claus suddenly shot up, a surprised look crossed his face.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?!”

He appeared to be wide awake, suddenly full of energy. Lucas was taken by surprise.

“I told you it was a special day!”

He hopped off the bed, ruffling his hair up as he ran to get dressed.

“That doesn’t tell me a whole lot y’know!”

Lucas rolled his eyes, sliding off the bed and tossing a shirt to his twin.

“It should mean enough to get you out of bed! Now, hurry up and get ready. We’ve got a big day ahead of us.”

Claus hastily ran his fingers through his tangled mess of a bed head, barely dislodging the mess.

“How so? From what I remember, we don’t usually do a whole lot.”

“Well, it’s a little different this year. We got a letter this morning that said our party would be “cancelled.” Upsetting, until you realize it’s because whoever sent the letter gave us clues as to where it actually is. Think of it as a scavenger hunt, but instead of some sad reward, the real prize is the location of the party.”

“So they’re just buying themselves time to get ready by making us go on a wild goose chase to figure out where it is?”

“Pretty much.”

“I love it.”

Claus chuckled as he threw on his signature striped shirt, checking to make sure it wasn’t wrinkled. As much of a chaotic mess that he was, he still wanted to look nice for his first official birthday in 3 whole years. He hurriedly fluffed up his hair to the point where it looked presentable, finished getting dressed, and turned to Lucas for what came next.

“So, where to now, captain?”

Lucas pulled the letter from his pocket, unfolding it so Claus could see. An oddly cryptic note was left in the dead center of the paper, along with a surprisingly well drawn map of the path the two should take. It was long, wound around way too many purposefully lengthy paths, and was generally confusing.

“Yeah, I know, it’s wacky, but it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out.”

He folded the letter back up and slid it back into his pocket.

“Well, we’d better get started! Let’s get a move on!”

He grabbed a backpack and his commander jacket, threw them on, and jogged to the door. Lucas followed suit, grabbing his own backpack and running after his excited older brother, starting the lengthy journey through town.

~~~{+}~~~

The house buzzed with noise and energy. Kuma sprinted down the hall, passing a room filled with presents of all shapes and sizes, and bolted downstairs, swinging around the railing and coming to a screeching halt.

“How’s everything coming along in here?”

Duster looked up from his work, giving a brief thumbs up before going back to his work. Flint glanced over from the chair he was on, holding onto his hat so it didn’t fall off.

“Gettin’ close to finishin’ this. When are those two s’pposed to be here?”

Kuma glanced at the clock. It had been around 2 hours since the twins should’ve left for the scavenger hunt she’d set up. She paused, running the path they should’ve been taking in her head.

“I’d say in an hour or two, maybe three at the most.”

“Why make it so darn long? I understand it’s a special day ‘n all, but did ya really need to run them all over town?”

Kumatora nodded.

“I wanted to make sure we had the most time possible to get this perfect. Don’t worry, though, I made sure to add plenty of fun along the way. They won’t get bored with it, as far as I’m concerned. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a cake to bake.”

She dashed off into the kitchen, grabbing ingredients from the cupboards.

Earlier that week, she’d decided to come up with an elaborate party for the twins 14th birthday. It took hours of planning and days to come up with just the right setup for the whole party, but she’d done it. The idea was to alert the whole village after sunset, a point in which both Lucas and Claus would either be at home or preoccupied to a point where she could safely get the news out without any of it spreading to their ears. They’d learn about the scavenger hunt and their places in it, be given information on gifts to get, and the scaled down parties some might hold. She then had them all promise to not tell another soul so neither of the twins got any word of it. In order to not raise any more suspicion, she made the decision to start setting up the party on their birthday rather than beforehand, as one or both of them could come to visit and ruin the whole surprise. She also came up with an elaborate scavenger hunt to keep the twins preoccupied while herself, Flint, and Duster all set up the real party. Along the hunt, the twins would receive gifts from the other villagers and enjoy scaled down versions of their real party. It would keep them engaged and give the possibility of another reward farther down the line, which would only fuel the existing excitement she knew they’d have. All of it combined lead to the perfect birthday for them. She was quite proud of herself for it, having concocted such a detailed and complicated series of events in such a small amount of time. As she whipped a batter together, she glanced at the clock, intently listening for Boney, who was stationed outside the house. If the twins were even remotely close to finishing, he’d bark, giving a final warning to hurry it up and finish by the time they got to the house. It was the perfect plan, and it was nearly complete. All that was left were some final decorations and the cake. She poured the cake batter she made into a baking tin and slid it into the oven, brushing flour off herself. She set the timer, and walked out, flopping onto the couch.

“You ok over here?”

Duster peered over the back of the couch, and string of party garland draped over his shoulder.

“Yeah, just tired. I didn’t realize how fast I’d need to work on this.”

She sat up, pushing her hair back.

“Flint and I are done decorating, by the way. I guess all we need to do now is wait.”

~~~{+}~~~

“That’s the nicest thing that guy back there has ever said to me.”

Claus huffed, smiling. Strangely enough, every single villager had been oddly nice to him, despite a few of them previously going out of their way to put him down for his past actions. It was nice, but a little strange for him.

“I know! I’m surprised they’re doing all this. I honestly didn’t expect it!”

Lucas pulled the letter he’d gotten that morning from his pocket, shaking the folded paper open so he could see the map. They were nearly done, yet nobody seemed to mention anything about an official party. It was a tiny bit disappointing, but Lucas shrugged it off, considering that the entire scavenger hunt they just went on could’ve been the actual party all along. They headed back through the plaza and began walking back home when Claus suddenly stopped.

“Hey, I just realized that we haven’t seen Kuma, Duster, or Dad at all today.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Where even are they? You’d think they’d be the most excited about all this, right?”

Claus nodded, turning back towards the plaza.

“Exactly. I doubt dad’s home right now, I know for a fact that Kuma isn’t in Osohe Castle right now, and the only other place we haven’t checked yet is-“

“-Dusters house!”

The two shouted in unison. In an instant, the twins were sprinting through the town, headed straight for Dusters house. As they got closer, they heard Boney start barking, then scramble inside. They slowed down, approaching the door. Claus reached for the handle, exchanging glances with Lucas. He took a deep breath, tightened his grip, and swiftly threw the door open. The entire house was dark, spare for the light coming from the open door. Hesitantly, the twins stepped inside, slowly closing the door behind them. Claus looked around, his mechanical eye giving off a faint red glow as he scanned the room for people.

“Maybe they’re not home...?”

Lucas whispered, leaning in so Claus could hear him. The ginger twin shook his head, exchanging a determined glance with his brother as he looked around once more, finding a light switch on the wall next to him. He flicked it, watching as the ceiling lights flickered to life. Suddenly, party poppers sounded and Kumatora, Duster, Flint, and Boney all leapt out of hiding.

“SURPRISE!!”

The twins were a little spooked, but mostly just amazed. The entire room was decorated with party supplies, from garland to little goofy hats on the tables. Boney even had a little hat and bow tie on, a makeshift party popper in his mouth. Kumatora came running over, pulling the twins into a hug.

“Happy birthday!!!”

She tightened her hug, lifting the two right off their feet before promptly setting them back down and letting go.

“Get over here and hug the birthday boys! They deserve it!”

Duster rolled his eyes and headed around to greet them, getting met with a hug from the twins.

“Happy birthday, you two.”

He ruffled their hair as the let go, turning their attention to their dad.

“Alrighty, get over here, ya little troublemakers.”

The twins practically shot into his arms, overjoyed to see him. Kumatora smiled, watching as the twins were lifted up and into Flints arms.

“Ohhhh lord, you two are gettin’ big...”

He managed to haul both kids over his shoulders with a groan before carefully letting them back down.

“Did you guys make us go through that whole scavenger hunt to buy you time to set this all up?”

Claus pointed at random decorations around the room, amazed at how much was done.

“Pretty much!”

Kumatora gave the two a big thumbs up.

“We thought it’d be a nice surprise, considering it’s your first birthday together after 3 years of not really having a birthday at all.”

Duster chimed in with a smile.

“Enough of all that, though. There’s a cake on the table and I say we get straight to eating it!”

Kumatora eagerly waited for a response and was met with unanimous excitement, rushing to the kitchen so she could get the candles on it, the others close behind. The twins sat down at the table, eagerly awaiting the cake. Memories started flooding back into Claus’s mind, filling him with a feeling of nostalgic euphoria. He could practically hear his mom humming the improvised tunes she used to make up while she lit the candles. He closed his eyes, lost in a flurry of vivid memories from every birthday he’d ever remembered having. Lucas gave him a gentle nudge, bringing him back to reality.

“Hey! Snap out of it! We gotta blow out the candles!”

Claus glanced at his twin and then to the beautifully crafted cake that was sitting right in front of them. Two candles were on either side of the cake, a tall vermilion blazing brightly on each one. The cake itself was decorated with sunflowers made of icing and fondant, little sugar crystals making up the center of the sunflowers. Icing had been piped to spell out “happy birthday” in the center, all written in cursive. The lights were dimmed and the others crowded around the table, all eyes on the twins. Kumatora gave a quiet count off from 3 and they began to sing.

“Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday to you~”

The twins couldn’t help but smile with excitement, nostalgia weaving a little bit more joy into their expressions with every passing second.

“Happy birthday Lucas and Claus~”

Quiet laughter broke out as they attempted to fit both names in without elongating the song.

“Happy birthday to you~~”

They broke into applause as the twins blew out their candles in sync, blushing at the enthusiastic cheers.

“Alright, who’s ready to eat?”

Kumatora gestured to the stack of paper plates behind her, watching as the twins unanimously agreed, leaping from their seats to be first in line for cake, chatting excitedly.

~~~{+}~~~

Claus leaned back against his pile of opened presents, letting out a sigh. It was much later in the day, the sun barely setting, and the festivities had mostly ended. He was fairly tired, having run around all day on a scavenger hunt only to finish it with the best party he’d had in years. He had gotten more presents than he originally expected to get, ranging from new clothes to toys to technology and parts for his mechanical arm and eye. He’d eaten more cake than he probably should’ve, gotten enough candy to last him for a few months, despite knowing that he’d probably eat it all in a week or less, and was ready to finally end off the day with a nap before they went home, until Lucas came running over, hiding something behind his back.

“Hey, Claus!”

The ginger twin groaned, slowly sitting up. He propped himself up on the part of the pile stacked with clothes, ruffling his hair up.

“What’s up?”

“Well, I know we both got a ton of presents this year, but I think you deserve one more.”

“Lucas, I got plenty. Whatever you have, just keep it-“

“No. I mean it. You deserve one more, and it’s this:”

Lucas pulled a bundle of sunflowers out from behind his back and thrust them into Claus’s hands.

“I know it’s not some extravagant present you’d see in your dreams, but I thought it’d be special.

“Where’d you even find these?! They’re the most perfect sunflowers I’ve ever seen!”

Claus was stunned. The flowers were practically symmetrical, the petals a vibrant yellow with not even a spec of dirt on them. The centers were a deep earthy brown and the stems were as bright and healthy as they could get. Not once had Claus ever seen real flowers so well kept, the closest being fake fabric ones he’d see in places where real ones couldn’t grow. Lucas sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling.

“I went back up to an old sunflower field I fell into a while back and scoured the whole thing for the best ones. It... was tedious, to say the least, but I found some really beautiful ones and thought they’d make a nice birthday gift, since I couldn’t think of anything better to get you without it feeling predictable.”

He let out a quiet huff, realizing how simple of a gift it was.

“Sorry it’s not something amazing like the other gifts you got. If you don’t want them, I can just plant them by the front of the house and-“

Lucas was cut off as Claus pulled him into a hug, the flowers pinned between them.

“Are you kidding?! I love it! So what if it’s not some crazy and extravagant thing?!”

Claus tightened his grip, smiling.

“You know how much I love sunflowers. They bring back good memories, and they’re my favorite. If anything, this is the best thing I’ve gotten today.”

Lucas chuckled, returning the embrace.

“Really?”

“Yep!”

The blonde smiled, resting his chin on his twins shoulder.

“Really, Lucas, thank you.”

“Aww, you’re welcome.”

He paused, leaning a little more into his brothers arms.

“Happy birthday, Claus.”

Claus smiled even brighter, nostalgia flooding him once more.

“Happy birthday to you too, Lucas.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I’m sorry it’s so fucking rushed. I have no schedule and no motivation to write anything, but I promised myself I would put something out for the anniversary, and this was it.
> 
> If it’s alright, I’d like to say how much this fandom has changed me. It’s such a kind and welcoming place with amazing games to boot, and the series has definitely changed me for the better. I hope to keep putting out stories like these for everyone involved and enjoying this series for as long as humanly possible.
> 
> Until next time, heres to another year of Mother 3!
> 
> I’ll (hopefully) see you all again soon!

**Author's Note:**

> That’s chapter one for ya. Sorry the ending seems abrupt. I thought it’d be nice if Claus just kinda fell asleep in the middle of his thoughts and that’s how the chapter would end. Chapter two is already being written, so expect that to be out soon.


End file.
